Orbiting Home
by Jaxin88
Summary: Rose has been searching for the Doctor for years, but when she buys passage on the Serenity, she finds there's more at stake than a missing Time Lord... Sequel to A Twist in Time.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: I've always thought that the Firefly and Doctor Who 'verses would fit perfectly together—like peanut butter and jelly, like Sherlock Holmes (original flavor) and his pipe, like the Doctor and Rose—if only it weren't for that pesky lack of aliens. Then an idea occurred to me, and my mind was promptly blown. **

**In the Firefly-verse, this takes place after the series but before the Big Damn Movie (Inara's left, but Book's still there). On the Doctor Who side, it's a sequel to my story A Twist in Time—I suppose you _could _read this story without reading the other first, but why would you want to? ;)**

**This one may end up being a long one, but I'll be updating a chapter a day.**

Chapter 1: Prologue

Snow drifted down from the winter sky, settling softly on the slumped shoulders of the Doctor. Another failure, with the lost lives to show for it. Sometimes he almost hated them, the people who looked to him with hopeful eyes and a rapidly emptying hourglass. _I've let so many people down. _Astrid. Morvin. Foon. Bannakaffalatta. Francine. Clive. Tish. Jack. Martha. _Rose._

Why did they turn to him? Why did they _believe _in him? Jack was faithful even though he'd been abandoned, even though he'd lived through a year of hell with the Master after waiting centuries just to see the Doctor again. Martha walked the Earth alone, preaching the gospel of the Doctor. His lips twisted in disgust at himself. She believed in him so strongly, and what had he ever done to earn that trust? He'd manipulated and belittled her time and time again instead of seeing the incredible woman she really was—not to mention what had happened to her family because of him.

And Rose. He turned back to the TARDIS, ignoring the melting snow that had collected in his collar as he stood there thinking. It still hurt too much to think about her.

The TARDIS was quiet, her consoling hum echoing through empty hallways. This was his life. This was what he could expect—what he deserved. A small _ping_ sounded from the monitor, and the Doctor glanced at the monitor before frowning. "26th century Ariel? Bit of a mess there, really. You sure I should visit?" The _ping_ sounded again, more forcefully this time, and he sighed. "Fine, I'll go." He moved mechanically around the console, pressing buttons and pulling levers as he began the dematerialization sequence. Soon nothing remained in the field but a rectangular patch that was rapidly filling with snow.

The winter stillness was interrupted by a crackling hiss as a fissure formed in the air, opening to release a petite blonde figure. Rose Tyler yelped as she stepped into the icy wind. "Oh, bugger. I _need_ to get a better jacket. Maybe sometime in the 43rd century." Hands rubbing firmly at her upper arms, she blinked the lingering bits of gold out of her eyes and peered around the field, muttering under her breath. "Always with the middles of the fields. All of time and space, Rose Tyler, just don't expect me to land anywhere near where we're going. Also, don't expect me to know where we've landed, either." She scoffed and began to glow again. "Daft alien." Another golden tear formed in front of her and she stepped through, leaving nothing behind but her footprints.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Impossible. It was really about time that he stopped using that word. It never used to bother him that much when he had blue eyes and a grin full of joy and madness.

Rose snorted. With all they'd seen, impossible was nothing. She had given up on that word once she ran back into the TARDIS, eyes filled with the stars and with him. All of time and space, and it never stopped humbling her. There she was, just a London shop girl, and she'd seen more of the universe than almost anyone else on the planet—and it was all due to that marvelous, frustrating, magnificent alien and his sentient time ship.

She was more than just a London shop girl now, though. With him, she'd become more: stronger, faster, smarter, happier than she'd ever been before. With him, she looked past the over-dyed blonde chav from the council estate and saw what she could be, and she became herself.

No matter what her family had wished she could be, she wasn't Mickey's Rose any longer—hadn't been for some time. She wasn't Jackie's Rose anymore, either. The hardest lesson she had to learn once she fell from that lever was how to become more than the Doctor's Rose. No matter how much she loved him, no matter how much she knew he loved her, she couldn't be just a companion anymore, waiting for the Doctor to save the day. If she ever wanted to get back to him, she'd have to do it herself.

Her lips quirked and faint golden sparks drifted in her eyes. With what Pete and Mickey had found out, she really did belong nowhere but at his side. _Wither and die my arse_, she thought with a grim smile. He wasn't going to be able to use that excuse to keep her at arm's length anymore, despite what they both wanted.

Honestly, the Doctor really was too fond of his own drama sometimes. Somewhere along the line he'd forgotten that the universe had tricks that even _he_ hadn't seen yet. _I'm so going to smack him as soon as I find him again._ She stilled, staring out the window at the dusty cityscape outside and seeing nothing but ancient brown eyes in a youthful, freckled face. _No, first thing I'm going to do is snog 'im till his head spins as much as the Earth. THEN I'll smack 'im_.

A plate clattering in front of her brought her back to the present, her focus moving from the hopes of the future to the busy waitress in front of her.

The woman smiled distractedly, her brown hair tucked messily under a small cap. "That be all, love?"

"Yeah, thanks. Say, I've just been travelling for a while, and I'm looking to find transport off-planet. D'you know where I should go to find some?"

The waitress refilled Rose's empty mug and gave her a considering look. "You travellin' alone, then?" At Rose's nod, she jerked her head briskly. "Eavesdown Docks is where you'll want to be goin'. Good prices, and the port authority keeps an eye out for trouble."

Rose thanked her and she bustled off to scold some other customers while the blonde sipped the vile excuse for tea and surveyed the bar. The place reminded Rose forcefully of some of the old-time saloons she and the Doctor had visited when they had explored the Old West, but with enough odd details to remind her that she was in the future. Holovids played news and advertisements from across the planets, sending a pang through her as she remembered Satellite Five. The clientele was an eclectic mix of cultures, but all with the worn, faded look of people used to just barely surviving.

This wasn't an easy time or place to live, and Rose, a youthful, single female, had kept herself armed from the moment she landed in this timeline. The Doctor may very well hate guns, but sorry, principles weren't enough to keep her safe in a dangerous situation.

There wasn't much else she could do there, really. A quick chug of the remaining tea-like substance (it didn't really deserve the moniker of tea, and oh lord, she was beginning to think like him now), and Rose hoisted her bag and left after a friendly wave and smile to the frazzled waitress.

The busy streets were packed with humanity, but despite it being centuries from her time, there were no aliens to be seen. _Well, no obvious aliens, at least_, she amended, remembering a certain suit-and-sneakers wearing Time Lord. The sheer variety of the people in the streets was astonishing—there were people from every culture on the globe and countless others, besides. The rainbow colors of the clothes around her left Rose feeling like she was walking in a very dingy jewelry box, and the noisy street vendors filled the air with a collage of scents. A hunched old man next to her was offering roasted rats on a spit, his crooked smile wide.

Shielding her eyes from the late afternoon sunlight, Rose tucked her back closer to her side as she pushed her way through the crowds towards the ships offering passage.

"Well, _hello_, there," came from behind her, the oily voice revealing itself as belonging to a similarly oily shipman with overly-fitted trousers. Rose winced and kept her focus as high as possible. "A fine-looking lady such as yourself deserves a fine ride, and my ship's one of the best." He grinned at her, apparently laboring under the misapprehension that he was charming.

Rose rolled her eyes and tried to pass him. "Not interested."

The crewman's grin hardly faltered. "Oh, but that's 'cause you haven't seen my ship yet. May not seem like much on the surface, but she'll blow you away."

She glared at him, again attempting to pass him, and again was blocked by the greasy shipman. "Still not interested."

"Now, why do you have to be so contrary? Come see the ship—she's like nothin' you've ever seen before, darlin'."

"She's like nothin' I'll ever see, period. Seriously, I'm not interested, mate. Now shove off." She lowered her hand to her side, letting it hover above the holster tucked underneath her leather jacket.

"Why do you have to be so cold, honey? I'm sure you'll like us..." The oily man stopped, his eyes latched onto something behind Rose's shoulder as his throat worked nervously.

A cold voice spoke from behind her. "Or you could leave her alone."

The crewman gulped and left hurriedly, his muttered curses escaping around his shoulders.

Rose's training at Torchwood kept her hand discreetly near her gun as she turned around, only to be see an Amazon of a woman in body armor who was already strolling off.

With a shrug, Rose called her thanks after the woman. The woman's exuberant curls tossed as she glanced over her shoulder, a smile breaking its way through her calm. "Not a problem."

There weren't many ships that interested Rose as she wandered her way through the docks. Bulky, clunky, heavily armed—there wasn't much variation in the design or the purpose, it seemed. The crews weren't much better; most had a miniature armory strapped to themselves, and Rose had to wonder exactly _what_ kind of trouble the port authority was used to dealing with.

The sun was settling in the horizon when Rose finally saw a ship that caught her attention. Not too large or too small, this ship reminded Rose of an alien bird. Despite the somewhat patchwork appearance, there was a grace built into it that she couldn't help but respond to. A cheerful brunette noticed her looking and bounded up to her, smiling fit to rival the sun.

"You like ships. You'll love Serenity." She settled back on her heels, her argument made, the powerful certainty of her expression bringing a smile to Rose's face.

"And what if I'm not goin' where Serenity's goin'?"

The girl grinned. "Oh, no worries 'bout that—we can go almost anywhere in the 'verse. 'Course, if it's too far away, if might take a while, but we'll get there eventually."

Rose smiled at that, caught up in the girl's good mood enough to be honest.

"Well, that's alright. I don't much care where the end destination is—I'm just travellin' right now."

The girl cocked her head to the side, hair getting caught on the smear of engine grease on her cheek. "You sounded just like the Shepherd, there. You a missionary, by any chance?"

A startled laugh bubbled out of Rose's mouth. "Can't say I've gotten that reaction before. Nope, I'm just a wanderer, hoping to find a trail."

"Well, we're sure good at wandering." She paused and frowned a little, her nose crinkling. "Not always at the finding a trail part, though. Oh, where're my manners? I'm Kaylee Fry, mechanic to this beautiful ship." She extended a hand, and Rose had to stifle a giggle as she hurriedly pulled it back to wipe the oil off on her overalls (patched, oddly enough, with a fuzzy teddy bear at the knee).

Rose grinned and clasped her hand, ignoring the leftover bits of oil that stained her skin. "Rose Tyler. 'S a pleasure to meet you."

"Aw, Rose is such a pretty name." Kaylee leaned closer, a conspiratorial smile on her face. "Can I ask why you're wandering? The Cap'll say I'm bein' nosy, but I love meetin' new people—there are just so many stories out there!"

A tawny-haired man walked up the ramp and tweaked Kaylee's ear, grinning at her in fond exasperation. "You're right about that, little Kaylee. You _are_ bein' nosy. Remember, business before pleasure." He turned to Rose with a charming smile that didn't quite meet his eyes. "Captain Malcolm Reynolds, miss. Has Kaylee told you about our rates yet?"

Kaylee blushed, and Rose smiled easily at her. "Not yet, but we'd have gotten there eventually. What sort of a price are you chargin'?"

"Depends on where you're getting off. We're headed off to deliver some goods to Messaline, should get there in a few weeks' time. Trip like that'll run about 1500 credits, give or take. Any longer than that, the price'll go up."

"Won't be a problem, Captain Reynolds. And I guess my passage depends on what I find on Messaline."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Looking for somethin', Miss?"

"Please, just Rose—an' it's more someone. Length of my trip'll depend on what I find." She glanced up at him and tucked her hair behind her ears. "That be alright?"

He nodded brusquely. "Long as you can pay. Kaylee! Help get our new passenger get set up, tour an' all. We're headed into the black within the hour." With that, the Captain hurried off, cursing angrily at the muscular man that was currently dropping crates off the trolley a badly-dressed blonde man was driving.

Kaylee watched, wincing, as the bruiser dropped a crate on his toes, his extraordinarily creative swearing echoing around the cargo bay.

"The big guy—that's Jayne. He's kind of our muscle, which is good, 'cause that's what he's best at. The blonde in the colorful shirt over there's Wash, our pilot—you won't find a better pilot in the 'verse. His wife's around here somewhere. She's Zoe, and she's the Cap's second-in-command. They were old army buddies, way back when. We've got a few other crew in the back. D'you have any other bags with you?" Rose shook her head, trying to take in the quick flow of introductions, but followed Kaylee as she made her way through the bay and down a rickety flight of stairs to the passenger dorms. Small rooms were set off a narrow corridor, some with the distinct look of being lived in while others were bare as bones. Kaylee led her to a room near the back, opening the door with a flourish.

"Here you go! Engine's quiet, around this end—should be easier to sleep, if you've been planetside for a while."

Rose bit her lip. "It looks lovely—but is there a room closer to the engines? I'm used to travelling on a ship, an' I've found I can't sleep when it's too quiet."

Kaylee positively beamed. "Looks like you're a girl after my own heart. C'mon, there's another one open closer to the engine room."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A few minutes later, after Rose had settled her few possessions in the small, stark cabin, Kaylee caught her arm and wandered them through the ship, introducing Rose to the rest of the crew as they poked through all the rooms. The ship was surprisingly spacious for its size, from the engine room that Kaylee showed off with obvious pride to the long corridor that held the crew's bunks. Up on the bridge they found the pilot and his wife canoodling, and Rose was surprised and pleased to see that Zoe-the-second-in-command was the same woman who had helped her earlier in the marketplace. She just nodded as Rose thanked her again, and Kaylee and Rose finished the tour with the galley, a charming yellow room painted with faded vines.

Kaylee grinned at the grey-haired black man that was cobbling together a supper of protein packets and miscellaneous vegetables. "This here's Shepherd Book, and a finer Shepherd you never could find." She winked at Rose. "He's also one of the few people on board that knows how to cook, so make sure you get along with him."

"I'm sure that won't be a problem, Kaylee." The Shepherd smiled at her, and Rose couldn't help but smile back—something about the man put her instinctively at ease.

"Rose Tyler, Shepherd. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Same here, Miss Tyler. We don't often have a chance to find new travelers, so I look forward to getting to know you."

Kaylee peeked into the simmering pot on the stove. "Anything we can help with, Shepherd?"

"I'm almost done, Kaylee." He stirred the stew carefully and reached for a small packet of dried herbs.

A thump sounded at the doorway, and Rose turned to see a handsome, posh-looking young man standing there, gripping his thigh unhappily. Kaylee made a noise of protest and hurried over, helping him to the dinner table. "Now, you know you should be off that leg, Simon. Wanderin' about ain't much good for bullet wounds."

Rose blinked. "Bullet wounds?"

They turned to look at her guiltily, and Kaylee smiled nervously. "Bit of a misfire, that's all. Nothin' to be worried about, really." She clapped her hands together. "Oh, you two haven't been introduced yet! Simon, this is Rose Tyler, our new passenger. Rose, this is Simon. He's the ship's doctor, and a right good one at that. He was even trained on Ariel an' everything!"

Simon's eyes widened, and his smile froze. Kaylee frowned in confusion before her own eyes flew wide, and she hurried away to help the Shepherd with the meal. Simon gulped nervously and began speaking, his words rushing together. "Kaylee's exaggerating a bit—I wasn't on Ariel for long, just for a school trip. There's nothing like being out here, travelling the stars."

Rose cocked an eyebrow, but smiled comfortingly. "Yeah, I agree. Haven't been to Ariel yet myself, but I hear it's a sight worth seein'."

He seemed to relax a little at that, and winced as his leg bumped into a chair as he sat down. "Oh? Where are you from, then?"

"Long ways away." Kaylee came back to the table, toting the steaming stewpot, and Rose stepped back to give her space as the mechanic sat down next to the young man. Rose bit her lip as she began setting the table, half in amusement and half in sympathy for the other girl.

Only a flashing neon sign could've made it more obvious that she fancied the bloke, but this Simon Tam seemed to have oblivious down to an art form. Rose bit down a groan. _Lord, was that what it looked like to everyone around the Doctor and me?_ For a moment doubt swamped her, but the memory of his smile—the soft smile that he only ever gifted her with—and the way his hand always reached out to her, as much instinct as breathing, calmed her mind.

A voice broke through her thoughts, and she jumped before blushing a little. Torchwood she may have been, hardened she was not. The Shepherd chuckled at her, watching her curiously.

"You alright there, Miss Tyler? You seemed a million miles away." She smiled at him as she resumed her chore of setting the crowded and battered table.

"Please, just Rose is fine. An' yeah, I'm fine—just caught in a memory, I guess."

Book raised a graying eyebrow at her. "You seem awfully young to be reminiscing that hard."

A grin tilted the corners of her mouth. "Well, age is really just a matter of experiences lived, isn't it?"

Book smiled back at her. "Truer words were never spoken. I've met many a man or woman who was far too young for their age." He sighed and glanced up the corridor towards the bridge, where the sounds of Captain Reynolds and Zoe discussing their flight plan could be heard. "And I've met a good many who were too old for their age, as well."

Rose nodded absently in agreement, her mind on all those she'd known who had been scarred by war. The Doctor, a pacifist and explorer who was always dragged into the center of conflict. Mickey, once her sweet, bumbling best friend, who had become a hardened elder Torchwood operative. Jack, smiling and flirting until the Daleks arrived. Nothing had brought home how hopeless Satellite Five was like Jack saying goodbye with a desperate sweetness.

"You've been travelling a while, haven't you?" Book watched her consideringly. "You seem to be more comfortable on a ship than most new passengers."

"A while, yeah. My friend and I, we used to travel all the time—now I can't really think of living another way. Staying in one place... it just doesn't work for me anymore."

The Shepherd looked at her in a way that left her feeling curiously exposed. "Don't you think it depends on where you are, and who you're with?"

Remembering a doomed planet orbiting a black hole, Rose's mouth twisted. "I used to think that. Now I know better."

"Really." Book raised his eyebrows inquiringly, obviously hoping to hear more of the story.

Rose smiled at him. "Maybe later. For now, dinner—anything else I can do to help?"

He grinned a little and nodded as he accepted her topic change. "Well, the nutrient loaf needs to be distributed, and the protein soup will be ladled up when the crew gets here."

A few minutes later, Rose stared at the brown rectangle that the Shepherd was slicing carefully and watched as the crew members attempted appreciation for the greyish sludge that Kaylee was dishing up. _Whatever the Doctor came to this time for, it definitely wasn't the food._

Kaylee plopped down next to her, a wide smile on her face that even the dubious scents wafting from the bowls couldn't dim. "Well, eat up! It don't look like much, but it'll keep your stomach happy."

Rose grinned back at her, tongue peeping from behind her teeth. "So I guess my taste buds are a lost cause?"

Wash snorted and started to cough, his wife slapping his back hard enough to make him wince. Rose grimaced in sympathy—the soup was bad enough going down the normal way, never mind coming back up.

The Captain grinned at her, the first real smile she'd seen from him. "What're those taste buds you're talking about? I don't think we have 'em out here in the Black. Luxury product, those."

Rose sat back as she ate her dinner, happy to watch a crew that obviously got along. The sort of camaraderie the _Serenity_ crew shared was rare, and it was something she missed with an almost physical ache. That ease with other people, the trust and comfort to rib each other—she hadn't had that in a long time.

She'd had that with Mickey once, but her time with the Doctor had changed her in too many ways to go back to the easy relationship they'd once shared. Her mum had always loved her, she knew, but Rose's change put an insurmountable tension between them. Rose couldn't really blame her. It wasn't every day that you find out your daughter's basically an alien. She and Pete had gotten along well enough, but he'd never really been comfortable around her after running away when he first found out who, exactly, she was.

She'd tried to make a life for herself, she really had, but she didn't belong there, no matter what her mum and Mickey wished for. They'd slipped into perfect slots for themselves. She'd replaced a dog. (She'd never really forgiven the Doctor for laughing about that—she'd hated that dog. Yappy little mongrel. She and Jackie cracked open some bubbly when the neighbors ran over it.)

After she'd discovered her own immortality, even her relationships with Mickey and her mum went south. They'd still loved her, she knew, but they would never be completely at ease around her again. Sometimes their resentment was clear as day. The Doctor had come into their lives and shaken things up, but Rose kept shaking 'em. The normal, comfortable lives Mickey and Jackie lived were never the same again, just because they loved her.

She missed the Doctor with a fierceness that never really went away, not only because she was (madly, desperately) in love with him, but because he was her best friend. She'd been free to be herself around the Doctor in a way that she'd never really had with anyone else. Jackie had depended on her as much as she mothered her, and Mickey had wanted her to be some sort of female version of himself. With the Doctor, she had found somebody who was happy to fly away from the ordinary, who didn't think that security was the most important thing in life.

Remembering Cassandra, she smiled to herself. So other people thought she was the epitome of common, just some overly made-up shop girl from the Estates, no education and no future. Here she was, travelling the stars five hundred years from when she was born. And yet the people surrounding her could be anyone she'd met on her travels. Jayne especially seemed to be a match for early Earth evolution._ Hmm... I should check and see if he's a stranded Neanderthal. _

"Dessert!" Kaylee's cry woke Rose from her mental wanderings, and she watched in bemusement as the crew crowded appreciatively around the small crate of apricots she'd brought from the marketplace. _Well, okay, not everything's the same._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The ship was buzzing with activity the next morning as Serenity coasted down to a lonely cliffside on Boros. Wash was interspersing planetary reports with husbandly advice over the intercom, which Zoe replied to with an eloquent roll of her eyes. The Captain and Jayne were busy filling every hidden nook and cranny in the cart with heavy artillery while Kaylee scanned the engine for any trouble spots. Simon was pushing a stuffed medikit into Zoe's hands while Jayne complained—something that was well-established habit, it seemed. The big lummox seemed to think he was invincible.

From her spot perched up on the catwalks, Rose watched the busy operation with a practiced eye. The crew obviously knew how to work together, and was well used to running as a team. There was a quiet thud beside Rose, and she jumped and turned to see a slender teenage girl with solemn dark eyes studying her.

Rose stood with a wide smile. "Oh, hello! I didn't know there was somebody else I hadn't met yet. I'm Rose, Rose Tyler. What's your name?"

The girl kept studying her, a faint line creasing between her dark eyebrows. She nodded decisively. "You're much more than Rose Tyler." Her head cocked to the side. "You are the stuff of legend."

Rose stiffened, her hand still extended towards the girl. "How do you know that?"

The girl flinched and sat down heavily on the grating, curling her body in on itself. "I... I'm more than River Tam." She looked up at Rose, and Rose almost gasped at the pain in her dark eyes. "I didn't want to be more than River, but they made me."

"Oh, sweetheart." Rose sat down carefully beside the girl—River—and put her arm around her thin shoulders. "What happened to you?"

River leaned into her, resting her head against Rose's shoulder. "River used to be just a girl. Now she's broken. They broke her, and all the king's horses and all the king's men can't put her back together again."

Rose winced in sympathy. "Change like that is never easy, is it? You have to re-learn yourself, and sometimes there are things you'd rather not know."

River turned large dark eyes up to Rose's warm brown eyes, where flecks of gold danced in the irises.

"I've killed men before." River's eyes widened in remembered adrenaline. "It was so easy. Bang, and a person is just a body."

Rose inhaled a long breath, released it. Her eyes drifted far beyond the metal hull of the ship. "I can't say I've never taken a life before. I _can_ say I've never forgotten the lives I've taken." She sighed, and the years that were invisible on her face weighed low on her shoulders. "No one sane likes to think about it, but sometimes the only option is death." She turned back to River. "What would have happened if those men lived?"

River's head was tucked against her shoulder again. Rose had to lean her head down to hear the girl's quiet reply. "The Captain wouldn't have been rescued, and we all would have died." She looked up at Rose again. "It was right, and it was so easy." She tucked her head down again. "They were people, but it was so easy."

Rose watched her pensively. "I don't think I can say something to make it all right, but I do know this: it may have been easy then, but it's hard now." Her eyes darkened. "You just have to watch that it never becomes easy all the time."

River's head stayed down. "We met a man like that, not too long ago. He was looking for me. People weren't people, to him. Just objects. River wasn't River, she was a reward. Kaylee was a body. Simon was a tool. All because he was looking for River."

"Hey." Rose turned River's face to her own. "Listen, I've been all across this universe, and plenty of other ones besides. You can't blame yourself for what some nutter does to try to do to get to you. All you can do is try your best to stop 'em. If you take responsibility for what all the people around you do, you'll go mad. I'm not sayin' that you can't ever influence 'em, but remember: they're their own people, in the end. They made their choices. All you can do is decide how you'll respond."

A thumping step drew both girls' attention towards the stairs, where Simon was dragging himself up with a wince. Rose cocked an eyebrow.

"Y'know, if you are a doctor, you should know to stay off that leg if it's bothering you so much."

The young medic winced again. "Yeah, but then I wouldn't get anything done."

River laid her head against Rose's shoulder again. Her muffled voice was petulant. "You aren't doing anything. You're just checking up on me."

Simon screwed up his face thoughtfully. "There is that."

Rose chuckled, remembering Mickey's overprotectiveness, even when she'd outnumbered him in field hours by the hundreds. "I wouldn't let it bother you too much, River. It seems to be a bloke thing. They'll always feel the need to watch out for us poor swooning females." Her grin was positively feral, and River watched Simon with detached amusement as he turned red and protested.

Rose laughed and ignored him. "So how come I didn't see River at dinner yesterday?"

Simon turned redder, if possible, and began to spin a story about how his sister was sickly and needed extra rest some nights. River interrupted brusquely, rolling her eyes as Simon tried to create a plausible excuse. "They don't want too many people to know about me. The Alliance wants to find me again, and I don't want to be found."

Simon caught his face in his hand. "River! This whole 'in hiding' thing? It involves hiding! As in, not telling everyone your life story!"

Rose snickered again, and Simon turned worried eyes to her. She saw the honest concern for his sister there and was touched by it, even if the boy seemed to have a foot perpetually near his mouth. She smiled brightly at him, and watched him with amusement as he relaxed instinctively and then tensed self-consciously again. "Don't worry, Doctor Tam. I'm no more a friend of the Alliance than you are, and I'm not particularly interested in money."

Simon snorted at that. "Everyone's interested in money, eventually. It just depends on how much."

Rose blinked, surprised at the bleak cynicism from the young doctor. An irate voice sounded from behind Simon, and he jumped as Kaylee walked up the steps.

"Now, that ain't true and you know it! Some people care about far more than just money, and don't you forget it!" She glared at him as he flushed, and Rose and River looked at each other and smirked. Kaylee caught their looks and blinked. "What?"

Rose's eyes were dancing, but her tone was perfectly innocent as she asked, "So. What's the team up to today?"

Kaylee grinned, but it was more like a veneer than her usual beaming smile. "Oh, the Captain's just picking up a delivery."

One of Rose's eyebrows lifted. Odd, how a delivery around here involved heavy artillery.

Kaylee coughed, a loud noise in the suddenly tense silence. "So, anybody up for a round of cards? Jayne's gone, so we don't have to worry about no cheatin'."

River stood abruptly, her head cocked to the side. "You should tell me about who you're searching for, Bad Wolf."

Rose flinched, and Kaylee frowned in confusion. "Bad Wolf? What's that about?"

"Old nickname. C'mon, River, I'll tell you. You two have fun." She winked at Kaylee, who blushed but still looked delighted. Simon still seemed a little wary, but River gave him a look that reminded Rose strongly of Jackie Tyler on the warpath and he subsided.

River led Rose down through the loading bay back to the passenger downs and stopped, staring intently at Rose. "Simon can be rude, but he means well. He just wants to keep the universe away from me."

Rose nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she opened the door to her dorm and sat on the bed. "Don't worry, River. I understand. Mickey could be a lot like that, sometimes."

The girl's head cocked to the side, her long hair drifting in front of her face. "The tin dog who became a steel warrior?"

She blinked. "Yeah, I guess. That's not a bad description for 'im. Certainly fits him better than 'Mickey the Idiot'." She looked over at River again, watching her consideringly. "Have you always been telepathic?"

River shook her head violently and perched on Rose's desk, twisting her hands around each other. "_No_. They opened me up, and I can't shut the door."

Rose winced and focused on the exercises she had learnt in Torchwood basic training, slowing her breath as she shielded her thoughts. A few minutes later, she let out her breath in a sigh and opened her eyes to look at the telepath. "That better?"

River was staring at her, dark eyes wide. "I can't hear you." She flickered forward, moving with a grace that was almost feline. "Why can't I hear you? It's so quiet."

"It just takes a bit of training, sweetheart. Something I learned back on good ol' Earth-that-was."

The girl frowned suddenly. "Earth-that-was _is_. They've hidden it in the past, beyond the screams."

Rose frowned, her eyebrows drawing together. "Who has?"

"Your Doctor knows."

Rose's eyes widened and her blood thrummed through her ears. "What do you know about him?"

River leaned forward, staring levelly at Rose. "He's not safe, Bad Wolf. He went looking in the land of the blind."

A knock sounded at the door and Rose looked away from River to see the Shepherd standing there. His face was calm, but his gaze was sharp. "River? Kaylee had to help Simon down to the infirmary, and he asked me to keep an eye on you."

River snorted and tossed her hair. "I'm fine here."

When he looked over to Rose, she smiled. "She's not bothering me, really." He nodded reluctantly and left, and Rose turned back to River. "Simon always this protective of you? How old are you, anyway?"

She shrugged. "Age is just a matter of experiences lived, don't you think?"

Rose cocked her head, curious. "Wait, were you near the kitchen last night?"

"Don't need to be." She sat next to Rose, staring into her eyes. "Can your Doctor fix me?"

Rose bit her lip. "I dunno, River. I don't know what's been done to you, and I don't even know where he is. I've been searching for him for years, and this is where the trail ends."

"You'll find him." River's voice was quiet, but firm.

Looking into the girl's dark eyes, Rose swallowed. "You sure about that? 'Cause I'm sure as hell not."

River smiled suddenly and flopped back down on the bed. "I'm sure. Change is coming, and the storm will block out the sun."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Because I've got a bit of a head-start on this one, and it is rather long, I might be updating more than one chapter day. Enjoy.**

Chapter 5

Life on board the Serenity was surprisingly dull—days of travel interspersed with mysteriously well-armed pick-ups and covert deliveries. Rose didn't know who the crew thought they were fooling. At all of the stops they made, no one had heard of the Doctor. Shepherd Book was fascinating to talk to and Kaylee was perhaps the sweetest person she'd met in decades, but there was only so long she could stand being constantly chaperoned while the rest of the crew went about their (distinctly shady) business.

She lay on her stiff bunk, staring at the blank ceiling above her and picturing a soft golden-green glow instead. The growling purr of Serenity's engines helped, even if it wasn't the reassuring background hum of the TARDIS. The ship was quiet, the steady noises of the crew having petered off as they headed to bed. The raw, empty space in Rose's heart ached as she remembered her old cure for insomnia. The Doctor hardly ever slept, preferring instead to fiddle with the TARDIS. Anytime she couldn't sleep, she would sit in the control room, just relaxing in his presence as he happily narrated impossible-to-understand repairs.

The best nights were, paradoxically, the worst ones. If she was ever awoken by nightmares—or worse, memories—the Doctor would take her to the library, and she would curl into his side, feeling the rumble of his voice as she rested her head on his chest while he read her whatever book they were on at the moment. He'd started the tradition after they met the Gelth, reading Rose all his favorite Dickens novels (she'd loved A Tale of Two Cities, but hated Great Expectations). After Dickens, he'd started on Austen after she made a comment about Colin Firth, insisting that she had to read the original, even if the series wasn't bad (it took her days to get him to acknowledge he'd seen it). It wasn't till after he'd finished the book that she admitted that she'd already read it.

He began to read her books from authors she'd never heard of, novelists from planets they'd visited and time periods that had yet to be. Rose didn't always like the books he chose, but the comfort of his heartbeats and his voice meant that she always loved the experience. For someone who claimed he didn't do domestic, the Doctor seemed to revel in those moments as well, times when there was no need for grand adventure or historic revolutions—it was just the Doctor and Rose, in the TARDIS.

She missed him with a fierceness that overwhelmed her at times, a never-ending ache that seemed too large for her body to handle. She clenched her eyes shut, refusing to allow tears to form. Her hand fisted in the sheets at her side, muscles clenched until it felt like the grip on her bedclothes was the only thing holding her together.

_No. I've had enough of this. I have to get out of here._ Her eyes snapped open and she grabbed the loose robe hanging next to her, her bare feet cold on the metal of the corridors. There was a corner in the galley that sat beneath the windows, and when all the lights were out in the rest of the ship the little corner was lit by nothing but starlight. Rose curled up in an armchair in the corner, the loose cushions cocooning her.

"You miss being safe."

Rose jumped, her arms flailing and getting tangled in the cushions before she landed with a hard bump on the floor.

Giggles filled the air, and Rose finally spotted River leaning over the back of the chair, a gleeful smile on her face. Her eyes dancing, she smoothed her face into solemnity. "Oops."

Rose stuck her tongue out at her as she struggled back into her chair, fluffing pillows until she had a comfortable cocoon again. River sat in the armchair next to her, her head leaning back until she was also gazing up at the stars.

Rose sighed, her eyes once again on the sea of lights above them. "I miss _feeling_ safe. I never really was, not when I was with him—he's pretty much the textbook example of 'in harm's way'—but even though I was in more danger than I'd ever been before, I'd never felt more secure." She chuckled bitterly. "He kept tryin' to send me home. He was always trying to protect me, but he didn't understand safe wasn't a place anymore, to me. It was a person."

River nodded, her long dark hair shifting on the cushions beneath her head. "Simon keeps me safe, even if we keep running into trouble." She sighed. "He's never forgiven himself for letting me be taken, but I already have. Years ago."

Rose smiled sadly. "It's 'cause he loves you, sweetheart. We never want those we love to be hurt."

"That's why you want to find him again so badly, isn't it?" Rose glanced over at River and found the girl watching her intently. "You don't want him to be alone ever again."

Rose blinked away the tears that were threatening to fall and bit her lip. "That's the gist of it, yeah."

"Simon saved me from being alone." River sighed and stared at the stars. "Now he's alone because of me."

"River, no. It's not your fault. You can lay the blame entirely at the feet of the people that've been hunting for you." River glanced at her, surprised, and Rose grinned a little. "It's not exactly hard to figure out. You should really tell you brother to work on his poker face."

There was a cleared throat from the hallway and they looked over to see Mal standing in the shadows. "Shouldn't you ladies be workin' on your beauty sleep? We head in to Messaline tomorrow." His voice hardened a little. "You might be able to find your trail there, Miss Tyler."

Rose stood, watching him carefully. River snorted. "Or the trail might find her." She stood gracefully and stretched before giving Rose an impulsive hug. "Good night."

"Night, sweetheart." Rose left the galley, feeling Captain Reynold's eyes on her the whole time. Something was up with him, something beyond suspicion. She'd have to ask Kaylee about it tomorrow.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

They landed on Messaline in the morning, the bay doors opening onto a bustling city. Rose watched the crew as they prepared their delivery, strapping the heavy silver boxes carefully to the much-used cart. Something was off this trip, she was sure. Captain Reynolds had seemed angry and unhappy for as long as she'd known him, but this morning he was so tense a bullet would've bounced off him. Remembering Simon and Kaylee's hastily constructed excuse, Rose winced. _Or at least I hope it would._

He seemed to notice her watching him, and sent Zoe and Wash off with a harsh order before walking up to her. "I need to talk to you." He glanced over at Kaylee, laughing with River while Simon watched with a slight smile on his face, and clenched his jaw. "Follow me."

Rose raised an eyebrow, but did as he commanded. He led her through the streets and into a small alleyway, crossing his arms stiffly. "Now I'm not sure what game you're playing with River, but I'll tell you this: if you ever even _think _of hurting that girl, you'll have me to deal with—an' if you're up against me, you won't like me much."

"'Cause you seem so lovable right now." His jaw tightened, and she snorted. "I'm not playin' a game with River, Captain. She's a wonderful girl, and she's a hell of a lot more than just a basket case or a victim. It seemed about time _somebody _around her recognized that."

There was a stir behind them, and Rose and Mal turned to see a pair of bulky men looming at the entrance to the alleyway. The blonde was playing with a knife the length of Rose's forearm, grinning widely. His partner had his hands rested on a pair of matching silver pistols.

He spoke, his voice low and gravelly. "Well, well. If it isn't Captain Malcolm Reynolds. We'd heard about some blonde piece pokin' her pretty little nose where it doesn't belong, but this only makes it better." He grinned ferally. "Mr. Niska sends his regards."

Mal's hand hovered over his holster, and the tattooed blonde waved his knife warningly. "Oh, no. You can send that right over here, Captain."

"I ain't about to do that, boys." Mal glanced over at her. "Rose, get behind me."

"Not gonna happen, Captain." She raised her chin, watching the thugs warily. "What's this about Niska?"

"He wants to talk to you, missy." The brunette grinned. "Actually, I got that mixed up. How foolish of me." He pulled out his guns and cocked them. "He doesn't want you to talk to anyone." He fired, and as Mal shoved her out of the way, the murmur of the city went abruptly silent.

Rose landed on the dirt ground heavily, breathless from weight of Captain Reynolds. After a long moment, she groaned and poked him. "'Scuse me, d'you mind moving?"

He sat up, blinking, and came face to face with the pair of bullets that hovered in midair right where Rose had been standing. He yelped and stood to the side quickly, staring at the thugs. They were frozen in place, the brunette's arms recoiling from the shots and the blonde's eyes caught in mid-blink. "What the _diyù_ is going on?"

"Somethin' they're not supposed to know about, so if you don't mind, I'd like to get a move on." When he just stared at her, Rose rolled her eyes and snapped, "_Now_."

They edged their way around the unmoving bully-boys, and Rose winced. _Looks like I've been a bit clumsy, this time._ The city streets were silent and unmoving, the evening after-work crowd frozen in place. A teenage boy was caught staring at his waiter's bum while his boyfriend smacked his shoulder. A businesswoman was frozen while she attempted to dodge a pigeon's droppings.

Mal's voice was hushed. "This ain't canny."

"Captain, we need to get back to the _Serenity_. If they've come after me, they might've found the others first." That seemed to break him out of his stupor. With one last unnerved look at Rose, he led them back to the ship. Rose stopped him before he walked around the corner, checking for witnesses.

The men seemed to have either missed or ignored the _Serenity_—Kaylee and River were frozen out front, Simon watching them, unmoving, from his perch in the bay. Rose let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "Oh, thank god." She closed her eyes and concentrated, and with a rustle of the pigeons above, time started again.

Mal was watching her warily. "That wasn't just some glitch, earlier. That was you."

"Yeah, it was." Rose stumbled suddenly, and he caught her around the shoulders carefully. "Thanks. Always wipes me out a bit, doin' that."

"Seems like more than a bit." She chuckled tiredly, and he frowned. "You all right?"

"I will be, once I get some rest." He protested, and she raised a hand feebly. "I know you've got questions, but I'll be a lot easier to talk to once I'm not fallin' asleep on my feet."

He frowned, but supported her as they returned to the ship. River glanced up nonchalantly as Kaylee and Simon both exclaimed and started forward. Rose grimaced. "I'll be okay, really. Jus' think I picked up a bug somewhere. All I need's some sleep."

"You sure, Rose?" Kaylee was watching her closely, her eyes wide and concerned.

"'M sure, but thanks for askin'. Really, I just need rest." The other girl nodded worriedly, but let Mal cart Rose off to her bunk. He paused in the doorway as she flopped down face-first on her bed.

He cleared his throat, straightening his shoulders. "We'll be talking later."

Rose smiled into her pillow and spoke, her voice muffled. "I've no doubt about that, Captain Reynolds. For now… I need to sleep."

He nodded brusquely and left, shutting the door behind him. Rose closed her eyes, gratefully sinking into unconsciousness.

(_diyù_- hell)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

She woke several hours later and smiled at the protein bar and glass of water that sat on her desk, the note beside it reading '_Feel better!_' in Kaylee's distinctive hand. Judging by the quiet of the ship, she'd slept her way through the day—not really a surprise, considering how large of an area she'd affected earlier. She winced. _I should really be more careful._ She stretched and got up, pulling on her robe before leaving her small dorm and heading to the galley.

The Captain sat at the table, shoulders stiff and face shadowed. She joined him there, calmly waiting for him to speak.

He cleared his throat and finished his tea with a gulp, speaking angrily to the table. "You know, I get a mite bit tetchy when people aren't open about who they are to me and mine, 'specially if we're toting you around the black. Ain't good for business, all this underhandedness."

Rose snorted at that, then laughed outright when a look of indignation ran across the captain's face. "Right. 'Cause you're been so open and honest yourself, Captain. 'Course those last three stops were honest business, and _Serenity_ didn't have anythin' to do with the alerts that popped up the instant we broke orbit."

The cold look on Mal's face broke through her amusement.

"How exactly do you know about those alerts? 'Cause I have to warn you, this ship ain't exactly friendly territory for Alliance."

She shrugged. "'S a good thing I'm not Alliance then."

The captain narrowed his eyes. "And how exactly am I supposed to believe that?"

"Dunno. I can give you all my papers, but unless you want to hand me over to the Alliance for cataloging, there isn't much I can give to prove to you other than my word."

"Cataloging? What, exactly, do you mean? And I'm bein' real patient here, so I'd suggest you not waste my time and get to the point."

With a deep sigh, Rose dropped her nonchalant attitude and straightened up. Mal stiffened as her posture switched, and she realized it would read as military to an obvious veteran such as himself. She winced.

"This won't be somethin' you'll have an easy time believing, Captain Reynolds."

It was apparently the Captain's turn to snort. "Miss Tyler—if that is your real name—I've been travelling around the black for years. I seen plenty not many folks would believe."

"Not like this, Captain Reynolds." Rose picked up a steak knife lying on the table and pulled her sleeve up as the Captain reached for his gun and then grabbed for her arm.

"Whoa, wait up there, missy! What do you think you're doin'?"

"If you'd give me a moment, Captain, I'll show you why I'm not too friendly with the Alliance."

A quick swipe of the blade brought blood bubbling out of her skin as Mal shouted and grabbed the knife from her.

"What the _diyù_ do you think you're doing? We've already got our own personal crazy on board here, we ain't got no need for another one!"

Rose let out a breath thick with exasperation and held up her arm. The golden light that suddenly streamed from the blood cut off the Captain's rant, and his mouth fell open as each drop pulled itself back into the cut, the light fading as her skin sealed itself shut.

The silence in the galley was deafening.

Captain Reynold's jaw worked for a long moment, air pushing itself out of his mouth in a tangled attempt at coherence.

Blue eyes met brown as the gold faded out of them, and his words finally broke through silence. "That ain't canny."

Rose rolled her eyes and snagged the knife from the Captain's loose grasp, taking it over to the sink to wash the blood away.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious."

"It's Reynolds—hey!"

Rose snickered as his voice rose in annoyance, snagged a mug of tea for herself and settling back down at the table. "You see why I want to stay away from the Alliance? They'd like me plenty, but I doubt the feelings would be mutual."

"You ain't far off in that. Greedy _húndàns_ would give almost anything to get their hands on you. Tell me one thing, Miss Tyler. Do they know about you? We're already on mighty precarious footing with the Alliance. I ain't sure this ship could handle being filled with the Alliance's most wanted."

"Like you don't have 'em on board already."

Within a moment, Rose saw that that had been the wrong thing to say. Mal's face closed off, and his hand rested deliberately on the pistol at his side.

"I reckon you'd better be mighty careful right about now, Miss Tyler. I don't take well to people threatening my crew."

Wincing, Rose acknowledged the warning. "You're right, Captain. And it wasn't a threat, just an observation." Staring at the steaming tea in her mug, Rose sighed, and to Mal it seemed like a switch had been flipped. The teasing enigma from before had vanished, leaving a girl who looked like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"I'm not from around here, Captain. The Alliance won't have any clue of my existence, because to them I don't exist." She looked up at Mal, and their eyes locked. "I'm from Earth."

"Ain't possible. Earth's gone, Miss Tyler." He stopped as she shook her head.

"I was there the day the Earth died, Captain Reynolds, and it's not for a long time yet. You might not believe me, but Earth's where I'm from. London, actually."

Her eyes drifted to the stars outside the windows, and something about her told Mal she wasn't lying. Whatever it was sure wasn't his brain, though. What she'd said registered then, and Mal took a hard look at her. "Now wait just a gorram minute. 'Not for a long time yet'? What the hell are you on about?"

She smiled sadly at him. "I'm_ really_ not from around here, Captain. Time or place."

Mal dropped his head to his hands with a groan. "I already told you, the position of ship loony's been filled already. It's filled mighty well, too. _Fēishēn hóurs_, no wonder you and River get along so well."

At this, Rose sighed. She stood and closed her eyes, concentration radiating from every line of her body. The Captain stared at her and jumped as her eyes flew open, golden light streaming from them. A slightly mocking smile curved her lips as she stared at him, and then Mal was left staring at an empty galley as she snapped out of existence.

A memory plowed into him then, his brain taking him back to the dusty lot where he'd first seen _Serenity_. The rotund salesman was busy extolling the virtues of the different pieces of _pìhuà_ he was trying to sell Mal when a young blonde walked around the corner of the nearest shuttle, tugging on his arm with a smug smile. He smiled back at her in confusion, not knowing her but more than willing to follow a smile like that for the moment.

The salesman's spiel continued, but Mal ignored him as she pointed off in the distance to the most gorgeous ship he'd ever seen. His breath caught as he stared at it, his mind filling with all the future a ship like that could hold. The salesman's voice faded into the background. "Son? I say, son, are you listening?"

The memory released him, his hands grabbing for his head as he tried to hold it in one piece. A pair of worried brown eyes looked down at him, no longer golden. Rose met his glare and proffered the medicine in her hand, smiling tentatively as he grabbed it.

"Sorry about the headache. I don't have all that much experience traveling linear timelines, and it's always a bit iffy as to the effect it'll have on people."

Mal swallowed the pills she'd given him after making sure they were from the infirmary and looked back up at her after a second. "What the _diyù_ was that?"

"That was your memories re-arranging. I hadn't been there before, now I was—your brain needed a bit to process that." She coughed as his glare intensified. "Right. Um, well... " She looked down at the table, staring as if the answers to the universe could be found in the woodgrain.

She took a deep breath and spoke. "What's the one thing that defines a person's life? The time spent, day after day, week after week, year after year—it all piles up in one direction, each tomorrow shifting into today and then yesterday." She glanced up at him again. "That's not how my life works. Not anymore, at least."

Mal frowned. "Anymore? You ain't making much sense, Miss Tyler."

A grim smile pulled at her lips. "No, I really don't make sense. I used to live life like that, y'know, each day after the last. Then I met the Doctor, and my life never made sense again." She smiled softly. "An' I wouldn't have it any other way."

"This Doctor the person you're looking for?"

Rose sighed. "Yeah. An' I've been looking for him for years now."

The Captain gave her a clinical look-over. "You must've been mighty young when you met this Doctor, 'cause you sure don't look like you've had a luxury of years to spend on him."

Brown eyes glinted in amusement. "Oh, I was quite young when I met 'im—just 19—but I'm a hell of a lot older than I look, now."

Mal cocked an eyebrow. "Oh really. And how much older would that be?"

"I've kind of lost track, but I'm somewhere in my late sixties now."

There was another moment of utter silence in the galley while the Captain did his best impression of a fish. Rose grinned, her tongue peeking from behind white teeth.

Mal cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well. If you were able to bottle whatever the hell you're usin', you'd make a pretty penny."

"Oh, I dunno—undiluted sentient time vortex is a rather specialized ingredient, I've found."

There was a happy smirk on Rose's face, and the Captain seemed to be trying to fit her into his worldview with the power of blinking.

A yawn forced itself out of Rose's throat, cutting short whatever else the Captain had been planning to say. He blinked once more before yawning himself.

Rose chuckled. "If you don't mind, Captain, time jumping always leaves me knackered. Am I permitted to go get some sleep, or should I go curl up in a holding cell for the night?"

Mal glanced up at her before focusing. "Right. Well, I can't say I don't have any more questions for you, but I am sure that you ain't Alliance, whatever the hell else you are. Feel free to head back to the dorms—I'll be heading off to my bunk, too. _Fúdìmó_ knows how much sleep I'll get, but I might as well try—we've got a job in the mornin'." He gave her a nod and left the galley, leaving Rose to finish her tea alone.

Later, looking at the mottled planes of the ceiling in her cabin, Rose realized with some surprise that she would most likely actually sleep through the night. The thought made her smile. _So much life to live, now, and I can barely even waste it with sleep anymore._ No wonder the Doctor never stopped moving—if you ever stopped to think about how much time is stretched out in front of you, it would almost drown you. She yawned as her eyelids grew heavier. _I never thought I'd miss having a deadline_.

(_diyù- _hell)

(_húndàn__-_ bastard)

(_Fēishēn hóur-_ flying monkey)

(_pìhuà- _shit)

( _Fúdìmó-_ you guys can look this one up yourselves. ;P)


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Rose sat on the catwalk in the morning, enjoying the cool air that blew in the bay doors. Mal, Zoe, and Wash had left about an hour earlier, and Jayne and Book were working out in the small clearing outside the ship. Kaylee plopped down next to Rose with a sigh. "I swear, they must think I keep that cart runnin' with nothing but spit and a prayer, 'cause lord knows Mal never wants to pay for new parts." She glanced sideways at Rose, worry clear in her eyes. "You feelin' better this morning?"

"Loads, thanks."

"Good." She shifted a little, and spoke quietly. "I know the Captain can be a bit rude sometimes, but he's a good person, really. He's just bit a bit broke up since Inara left."

Rose raised her eyebrows. "Who's Inara?"

"She used to live here, with us. Rented out the shuttle over there." Rose glanced over to where Kaylee was looking, and saw a dark, empty doorway. Kaylee sighed. "I miss her."

"What happened?" Rose winced, remembering the ambush yesterday and the Captain's distinctly unsurprised response to it. "If you don't mind me asking, that is."

"Oh, nothin' really bad happened. Inara's fine. She's doin' great, even. She's a Companion, see, and she's back on Sihnon teaching others at the Companions Guild. She's got a good life there." Kaylee smiled crookedly. "Better than out here, I guess."

"I'm sorry. Sounds like you really miss her."

"We all do, but the Captain most of all. Those two were nuts about each other, they were just both too stubborn to do anythin' about it." She snorted. "Why do people _do_ that?"

Rose bit her lip to hold in laughter as Simon walked below them and Kaylee immediately perked up. "I really don't know." She'd seen enough of the young doctor over the last few weeks to know that he was just as far gone for Kaylee as the mechanic was for him, but neither of them seemed to know what to do next. All in all, it reminded Rose fiercely of herself at age thirteen.

An engine roared outside, and Jayne shouted in indignation when the cart nearly clipped him as Mal drove it back inside. Wash leapt off it before it had even stopped, tearing through the bay to the stairs as the back.

Book hurried inside, his eyebrows drawn together. "Captain? What happened?"

"Real bad things, Shepherd. Jayne! Get that equipment back inside, we need to be out of here in five!" Rose hurried down to help them carry in the weights, watching the woods apprehensively.

Mal slammed the button to close the bay doors just the loud rumble of another engine began to approach. He spun to face Rose, looking incredulous. "I don't know what you did to piss Niska off, but he's not takin' any chances on you. Your two pals from yesterday showed up again, right in the middle of our pick-up. Damn near wiped us out. What the_ diyù_ did you _do_?"

Rose just stared at him, grabbing onto a crate to steady herself as _Serenity_ lifted off with a roar. "I've got no idea, Captain. I don't even know who the bloody hell this Niska _is._"

"Sure. That's why he's sent a pair of bully-boys out to kill you."

"Look, literally the _only_ thing I've been doing since I got to this place was look for the Doctor. I haven't a clue who Niska is, but if he's lookin' for me, there's a good chance he knows where the Doctor is. Please, Captain. Who is he?"

Mal's jaw tightened. "Somebody you don't want to get mixed up with. I've had the dubious pleasure of bein' his guest, and I just hope your Doctor's nowhere near him."

Rose paled. "What do you mean?"

Jayne snorted. "What he means is, last time we rescued Mal here from Niska we had to patch the pieces back together. It weren't pretty."

"Oh, god."

Mal glared at Jayne. "Now, there's no guarantee Niska's got your Doctor."

"He was told to find him, to hold him. The Storm is caged." They turned to see River sitting on the stairs, her dark eyes wide.

"River, is he there?" Rose's voice cracked. "Does Niska have him?"

"So much pain. Alone in the dark, frozen in silence." River grabbed her head, and Simon hurried over to her, wrapping his arms around her carefully.

"River, you're here. You're on the _Serenity_, remember? It's okay. It's okay."

"It's _not_ okay!" She shoved him away and stumbled back against the wall, pressing herself close to the metal. She flinched and looked up, her eyes boring into Rose's. "He's in so much _pain_—his soul is screaming."

Rose's jaw tightened, and she turned to Mal, her eyes blazing. "Where is this Niska?"

He stared at her, looking skeptical. "What, are you going to go in there yourself?"

"You know I can do it."

Mal shook his head. "Maybe you could get in, but I saw how wiped you were afterwards. You ain't goin' after him."

"What do you want me to do? Give up on him?" She glared at him. "I won't do that. I _can't_."

Shepherd Book cleared his throat. "Rose, it's only through the element of surprise that we were able to rescue the Captain, last time. Adelai Niska is a very dangerous man."

She clenched her fists, glaring at all of them. Zoe was watching her carefully, though her brow was creased in worry. Kaylee looked close to tears. Simon kept his face carefully blank, but his hand tightened on River's shoulder. "Drop me off somewhere near him, then. I'm going after the Doctor."

Kaylee gasped. "Oh, Rose. Alone?"

"If I have to, yes. It's not a situation I'm unfamiliar with. But I'm _not_ leaving him there."

Mal cleared his throat. "Well, how are you goin' to get him out, then?"

"I'll figure out a way."

He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Well, damn. If you're goin' to be that stupid, we've_ got_ to go with you."

There was a long silence as they processed that. Jayne was the first to speak. "Am I missin' something?"

Zoe raised an eyebrow at Mal. "I'd say the Captain is, more like. Sir, we barely got out of there last time."

"Maybe, but we got out." Mal's jaw tightened. "I'm not much for leaving people behind, Zoe. Besides, I'm getting' a bit tired of Niska chasin' us around. Maybe it's time we take the fight to him."

"Shepherd's right, sir. We got in last time because Niska wasn't expecting us to do a frontal assault."

Rose spoke, her voice even. "I can get us in."

Zoe pursed her lips. "I suppose you have the schematics to Niska's Skyplex hidden in your luggage somewhere?"

"No, I don't. But you've been there before. You've broken in." She raised her chin. "I can get us to the door without anyone the wiser."

Mal frowned. "Can you hold it for that long and not pass out?"

"That time in the alley was spur of the moment. If I prepare myself, I can keep Serenity covered and help rescue the Doctor."

Simon frowned, looking back and forth between them. "What are you talking about?"

Mal turned to the others and grinned. "Folks, we've got ourselves a secret weapon."

Rose looked at the crew around her and swallowed. "You know River's been experimented on?" At their cautious nods, she continued. "What happened to me wasn't against my will, as it was with her. It was just as permanent, though. I can manipulate time. If I prepare myself, I can keep the _Serenity_ in a time bubble to get us into Niska's Skyplex without anyone noticing. To anyone watching, it'll be as if we appeared out of nowhere."

Zoe gave her a considering look and turned to Mal. "Sir?"

"She can do it, Zoe. Should be impossible, but I've seen it happen." He grinned wickedly. "We get in there, get her Doctor, and finally take out that _niánhuá yòushŭ_. He's been runnin' free for too long, and it's about time we pay him a visit."

Jayne frowned thoughtfully. "That'd be one hell of an ambush."

"We ain't far from Ezra now. Kaylee, go tell Wash to change course. How long'll it take you to get ready, Rose?"

She straightened and nodded at him. "Give me a couple hours."

"Well, it's about 16 hours away as it is." He turned to the others and rubbed his hands together. "Let's get this cargo put away, people. We've got ourselves a battle to plan."

(_diyù-_ hell)

( _niánhuá_ _yòushŭ-_ slimy weasel)


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Rose sat in her room, clearing a spot on her floor and sitting in the lotus position. She took a deep breath. _I can do this. It's for him. I have to._ A soft sound broke her concentration, and she turned to see River standing in the doorway. "River? What's up?"

The girl frowned. "The ceiling."

_Wrong time period. Right._ "Is there something I can help you with? I kinda need to get started, soon."

She moved forward, playing with her sleeves. "I can help."

Rose blinked. "You sure?"

River glanced up through her hair and smiled, a quicksilver flash of a grin. "They gave me more than they knew." She settled onto the floor in front of Rose, her posture matching Rose's perfectly. "Give me your hands."

Rose clasped River's hands in her own, watching her curiously. The girl closed her eyes, but opened one in annoyance moments later. "I can't help you if you're not concentrating, Bad Wolf."

Rose blushed and laughed as she shook her head and closed her eyes. "Yeah, sorry. 'M just not used to working with others when it comes to stuff like this."

"You will be soon." When Rose opened her eyes again in shock, River squeezed her hands. "_Concentrate._"

"Right." Rose shut her eyes and began to breathe carefully, focusing on the slow expansion and contraction of her diaphragm. She imagined the air purifying her body as it went in and out, oxygenating the blood that pulsed through her veins. When her mind was clear, she concentrated on finding her center, and a familiar scene began to appear.

The floor beneath her wasn't cool tile any longer, it was rough grating. The clothes that she knew surrounded her vanished, and in their place stood a ramshackle, beloved console. Green-gold light shone against her eyelids, and she opened her eyes. No matter how many years passed, she still remembered the TARDIS' console room perfectly. She stood and walked over to the console, brushing her hand lightly against the familiar controls. The Doctor had picked up that crystal orb on Korvin, when he'd dropped his last one while juggling it and broken it. He'd convinced her that orange button in the top left corner was a self-destruct button—at least until she'd seen him use it while piloting them to ancient Rome.

A soft voice broke into her reverie. "_Oh_."

Rose glanced up and saw River standing there, her eyes wide. She frowned, confused. It had taken her years to create a center, and her teacher had insisted that each person's visualization was different. "River? How did you get in here?"

"The door was open, Bad Wolf." The young telepath closed her eyes, concentrating. "_Serenity_ speaks to me, but the TARDIS… she's singing." The girl began to sway, her long dark hair drifting back and forth. "She's been singing for so long."

Her brown eyes snapped open, and she danced around the room to stand next to the one bare panel on the console. "She misses you, and she needs her Doctor. She'll help you."

Rose joined her, staring at the panel. She swallowed. _This is where it all began._

A calm voice reverberated in her mind, echoing with the ages. _And where it will start anew. It is time, Bad Wolf._ With a deep breath, Rose opened the panel and stared once again into the heart of the TARDIS.

Back on the _Serenity_, her eyes snapped open, blazing with golden light.

In the bridge, Wash blinked and glanced at the man behind him. "Mal? Is there some reason the space debris stopped moving?"

Mal grinned. "That would be because the plan's working, Wash. And you said I was crazy."

"Actually, what I _said_ was that you were dumber than a tutu on a monkey." The pilot shook his head. "If you're going to quote me, at least get it right."

"I'll make sure to mark it down for posterity. How long 'till we're in position?"

"Just about twenty minutes, Cap'n."

Mal nodded decisively and turned. "Zoe! Everybody know their parts?"

"Yes, sir." She finished strapping on her body armor and pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail. "I still think this is a bad idea."

"Well, I give you permission to complain at me afterwards." Mal grinned and pulled out his pistol, giving it an experimental twirl before holstering it again. "Niska's gettin' what's been coming to him for a long time."

A few minutes later, _Serenity_ jolted as she thudded into position. Mal nodded at Book, Zoe, and Jayne, doing one last check on his guns. "Soon as those doors open, Simon and Wash lay down cover fire and we start towards Niska's office. Man's more than cocky enough to keep everything in the same place, so if he's got Rose's Doctor, he'll be in there. We go in hard, we go in fast, and we get out quick. Take out as many as you can—these people have done enough harm."

Jayne cocked Vera grimly. "You want Niska for yourself?"

Mal snorted. "Hell, I don't care. Just as long as _somebody_ gets him, I'm happy." Rose walked in, pulling on her old Torchwood body armor, and he nodded to her as she slipped behind the crates with the rest of the crew. "You ready?"

She took a deep breath. "As I'll ever be. They'll know we're here, now."

The doors opened, and the ramp lowered slowly. Angry shouts echoed through the room, and gunfire peppered the hull. The ramp finished lowering, and as Simon and Wash poked their heads around the crates to begin firing, a series of crisp shots sounded from above them, taking out every guard arrayed against them in less than a minute. The crew turned to stare, and Rose grinned. River sat on the catwalk, coolly reloading Rose's sniper rifle. The girl looked down at them with a raised eyebrow. "Well? Don't you have some rescuing to be doing?"

Mal cleared his throat, shaking his head. "Move out, people."

Rose followed them down the hallway, purposefully blocking all thought from her mind as she watched the _Serenity_ crew take down guard after guard. There was nothing but the acrid scent of gunpowder in the air, the harsh _crack_ of shotgun fire. Countless hallways later, the Captain signaled a stop, and Rose realized that Jayne and Book had split from them at some point.

Mal's jaw tightened. "We're here."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Inside the office, the side door was open onto a room out of nightmares. The small circular chamber was spattered with fluids that didn't bear analyzing, and the standing rack at the center was holding a painfully thin body, clothed in ragged shorts that hung off his hips. Rose choked on a sob as she rushed forward, ignoring sound of gunfire as Mal and Zoe dealt with Niska's guards in the room outside.

There was nothing in her universe but she and the Doctor at the moment. His freckled skin was stretched taut over his skeletal frame, pale and fragile. This Doctor had always been thin, but this... his body was emaciated. A dark beard shadowed his sharp jaw, and his hair nearly brushed his shoulders. Tears filled Rose's eyes as she checked his pulses, fingers braced on either side of his neck. The reassuring double-time of his dual hearts beat against her fingers, and even if his second heart stuttered oddly, Rose still closed her eyes and leaned against his body in relief. She had found him. She had finally found him, after decades of looking.

"Huh. So, I suppose it's time for me to start hallucinating again." Rose jerked herself up in surprise, wide eyes meeting slightly disoriented brown ones. The Doctor frowned slightly at her in confusion. "Normally you show up a lot sooner than this, though." He looked down at her clothing and wrinkled his nose in distaste. "And you're wearing a lot less angry clothing. Weeelllllll... wearing a lot less clothing in general." Rose gasped out a laugh, and leaned carefully against him again. "This time I've even remembered what you feel like—well done, me!" He paused in consideration. "Not that I've ever forgotten, actually."

A forgotten breath rushed itself out of Rose's lungs at that, and she gulped in air inelegantly. "Doctor, 's me. I've really come back."

"Well, of course you'd say that, wouldn't you? After all, what else would I want you to say?" He gave her an odd smile, as if he'd forgotten how. Remembering his mad, joyous grin, Rose felt her heart break again. "But no, you're gone. I looked, Rose. I looked for every way that I could possibly think of to find you again. Then the Master found out about you, and I'd never been so happy that you were gone."

Rose felt like she'd been punched. Her hands, which had been trying to find the right setting on her sonic screwdriver to release the Doctor, froze. "What?"

"He couldn't get to you, Rose. After what he did to the Earth just because I happened to like it, I've never felt so lucky that he couldn't get to the woman I loved."

She should say something to that, shouldn't she? "What?"

"All right, I know I do that a lot, but really, my subconscious doesn't need to be this lazy." He sniffed haughtily. "After all, big Time Lord brain, I should be able to imagine something much better than this. Especially if I'm imagining you, Rose." He licked his lips carefully, though they were cracked and bleeding.

Rose nibbled on her lip as she aimed the screwdriver at his restraints. "Lord, have they fed you anything?"

The Doctor blinked. "Oh, now that sounds like Jackie. I was hoping for a kiss, but apparently my subconscious disagrees with me."

Rose bit back a worried groan. "What do I have to say to make you believe it's really me? I'm here, Doctor." She rested her hand gently against his cheek. He turned into her palm and nuzzled her hand contentedly.

"Oh, I've seen you far too many times for this to be real. The Master liked to trick me into thinking you'd come back, you see." One side of his mouth curled into a bitter smile as Rose finally got his cuffs open. He didn't seem to notice. "It didn't take me long to figure out that you weren't real, but it was still good to see you." His eyes took on a haunted expression that she thought had been burned away with his regeneration. "Sometimes you were the only thing keeping me going, that year." He snorted weakly. "Well, that wasn't exactly a new feeling for me."

A loud shout drew both of their attention to the outer office, where the endless gunfire of the past long minutes had finally stopped. Mal and Zoe charged into the room, and stopped with a start at the view of the Doctor. Mal's eyes were huge as he looked over the Doctor's battered and bleeding body.

"_Daxiang baozhashi de laduzi_, how long has that _xiongmeng de kuangren_ had you?"

The Doctor frowned at them in confusion. "Oh, now this is new. I haven't imagined people I've never met before yet."

Rose groaned and stood up, the Doctor's feet now free from the rack. She turned to the others with a worried frown, tucking her sonic screwdriver back in her pocket. "I don't know how long that soul-rotted bastard has had 'im, but it's too long. He thinks he's hallucinating. Is the path back to Serenity open? I'll need help with 'im. We've got to get him back safely." She turned back to the Doctor, pulling a long arm around her shoulders as Zoe braced him on his other side. "Doctor, where's the TARDIS? Does Niska have it, or what?"

The Doctor looked forward thoughtfully, either ignoring or not noticing the skin that stayed attached to the rusted-over rack as they pulled him away from it and down the hallway. "Y'know, Rose, Niska asked a lot about how I got on the planet, but he didn't know the TARDIS' name. She's on Ariel, actually. Niska's men grabbed me there after I asked too many questions, but the perception filter kept them from noticing her." He leaned towards her conspiratorially, making her grunt as she braced herself against his added body weight. "I don't think they like me."

The Captain swore behind her, and she heard his footsteps speed up until he was walking next to her. "Listen, I hate to break up the reunion chat, but we've really got to hurry it up. Book and Jayne can only keep the corridors clear for so long."

"Sir, we're only a few corridors away," Zoe said, rolling her eyes as Mal muttered more expletives under his breath.

"HELL YEAH!" An explosion rocked the space station as two forms pelted around the corner towards their group. Mal's stream of expletives grew in volume and color, and Rose's eyes widened as she listened and dragged the Doctor along.

He snickered as Mal continued swearing and mumbled in her ear, "Oh, now that's just not anatomically possible. For the Cloradians of South Psyhlos, perhaps, but not humans."

Mal groaned. "Gorram it, Jayne, give me some warning next time you decide to sneak up on us on a rescue mission!"

The Shepherd was eying Jayne as if he were as volatile as the explosives that had just gone off. Jayne, meanwhile, was grinning as if Christmas had come early.

"Sorry, Cap'n… but not really. It's been too damn long since I got to use them grenades." His smile turned disturbingly lecherous. "Forgot how it makes me feel."

Rose paused for a second, her mind going places she really didn't want it to go. Her mouth twisted into an involuntary grimace.

Zoe seemed to echo her thoughts, quickly adding, "Please, no one ask how it makes him feel."

"Let's get a gorram move on, people! This ain't a social!" The group moved on, the Captain scouting out ahead while the Shepherd and Jayne watched their backs. The docking bay opened up in front of them as River continued to pick away Niska's men, and with one last dash, they were once again in Serenity's hold. Mal slammed the button to close the doors as Jayne tossed a last few grenades down the corridors, whooping with delight when they shook the ship.

The Doctor craned his neck to study the hold around them. "Ooh, a Firefly class. I've always liked these." He took his own weight suddenly, leaving Zoe and Rose stumbling. "Well now, this is new. I've never hallucinated that I was in another place before." He stood, considering, before collapsing.

Rose yelped and leapt forward, barely catching his weight as he slumped. The Captain swore again and bellowed, "DOC!"

A loud clang came from the door in the back of the hold, and a few moments later Simon came running up the stairs, his arm catching on the doorframe as he skidded around the corner.

"Oh." His eyes were huge. "You found him!"

"Yes, we found him, now let's get the poor bastard to the infirmary so you can do your doctorin' thing instead of standing around like a moron with your eyes popping out of your head!"

The next few hours were a blur to Rose. The exhaustion from shielding _Serenity_ earlier was finally catching up to her, but she refused to leave the Doctor's side. She remembered sitting in the infirmary, her eyes glued to the Doctor as Simon did his best to heal him. Other than telling him to keep any aspirin far away, she hadn't warned him about the physiological differences, and she noted in a detached way his start as he found the two hearts. She was vaguely aware of the rest of the crew coming and going as they came to see the man that she'd spent so long looking for, but all of her awareness was focused on the emaciated figure on the medical bed, his gangly limbs hanging off the end.

"Rose?"

She blinked, her mind coming back to the present as Simon spoke to her.

"Yeah?" The worried look in his eyes faded a bit as she spoke to him. _Huh. Wonder how long he was trying to get my attention._

He spoke quietly, his gaze worried. "I've done the best I can for him, but his body seems to be shutting down naturally."

Despite Simon's obvious nervousness, Rose sighed in relief. "Yeah. 'S a healing coma, I think. He wasn't hurt badly enough to need it often when I was with 'im, but he warned me about it after Christmas one year." One corner of her mouth curled up involuntarily, remembering how nervous he'd been after the change, how determined not to leave her helpless again.

Simon turned back to her, raising an eyebrow quizzically. "Christmas? That hasn't been celebrated in centuries."

Rose grinned faintly. "What can I say, I like bein' retro."

The young doctor kept a curious eye on her as he checked over the Doctor once again, but the readings from the thin figure on the bed were stable. Including the heartbeats...

Simon spoke again, his voice kept low as he set his tools next to Rose. "He's not human, is he?"

She blinked, her mind coming back to the infirmary from wherever it had been for the last several hours. "No, but _please_ don't tell anyone. The Captain's got enough on his mind since he didn't get Niska like he wanted, an' I don't really trust Jayne around someone who'd be worth millions on the black market." Her eyes went back to the Doctor like they were drawn by a magnet. "'Specially since he's helpless right now." Her eyes darkened. "I've been looking for him for so long, I couldn't stand to lose him now, not after I've finally found 'im again."

Simon glanced out the infirmary's windows to where River waited, head cocked as if to listen to unheard voices. He sighed. "I know what you mean." He looked at Rose again and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Just... be prepared. Sometimes things don't turn out like you think they will."

A bitter smile touched the edges of her lips. "Oh, trust me. I've had plenty of experience with that."

(_Daxiang baozhashi de laduzi- _the explosive diarrhea of an elephant)

(_xiongmeng de kuangren_- violent lunatic)


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The days passed quietly for Rose as she waited for the Doctor to wake up. River sat with her often, perched on the counter with her eyes steadfastly focused on the Doctor. The third day, Rose woke to find a blanket draped over her and a plate of food on a stool next to her chair. Kaylee was sneaking out the door, and she grimaced as Rose sat up. "Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to wake you." She came back in and gave Rose a small smile. "You haven't been sleeping much, and you looked a bit worn out."

"It's alright, Kaylee. Thanks." Rose laughed a little and rolled her shoulders. "Sleepin' too long gets me all twisted up, anyway. Thanks for the food."

"Well, it's just a nutrition bar, but you missed dinner last night, so I thought I'd save you something."

"It looks great. I hadn't realized how hungry I am." She let go of the Doctor's hand to pick up the bar, and his brow furrowed. He began tossing and turning, and she snatched his hand again, biting her lip as he immediately calmed. She cleared her throat and smiled a little, blinking back tears. "Guess I'm eating left-handed today."

Kaylee was watching them with a soft smile on her face. "He's mighty handsome. Bit on the skinny side, but he looks loads better than he did just a few days ago."

Rose brushed the hair back from his forehead. "Oh, he's always been trim, but never this bad." She sighed. "I'm just glad he heals as quickly as he does."

Kaylee jumped suddenly and stuck her hand in the pocket of her overalls. "Oh, I almost forgot! Here." She pulled out a small box and grinned. "It's an extra shaving kit. I borrowed it from the Captain—thought it might make you feel a bit better if you could tidy him up some." She bit her lip. "An' I brought these, too." She pulled out a small pair of silver scissors. "Inara'd been teaching me some hairstyling before she left. I could give him a trim, if you like."

Rose smiled. "That sounds great, actually. He'd hate looking this messy. Don't cut it too short, though—he likes it a bit shaggy on top."

Kaylee bounced a little and grinned as she pulled out a comb and began working her way through the Doctor's hair. "Thanks! Nobody around here lets me practice on 'em, so I was kinda worried I'd forget it all."

Rose bit her lip against laughter, imagining the Doctor squawking in protest. Maybe it was a good thing he was unconscious at the moment.

* * *

><p>Five days from when she'd finally found him, Rose woke to a very familiar voice.<p>

"What?_ What?_"

Rose raised her head wearily from the cold surface of the table, wincing as the ache in her neck clamored for attention. Bleary brown eyes met wide chocolate ones, and Rose sat up with a gasp, all of her exhaustion washed away in a wave of surprise and joy.

"You're awake! Oh god—" To her chagrin, she burst into happy tears.

"Oh, no no no no no! Rose, don't cry—I can't bear it when you cry."

Rose raised her eyes to meet the Doctor's, and her heart twisted painfully in her chest at the look of desperate worry on his face. He lifted a shaky hand to touch her face and she grabbed it and held it to her cheek. His eyes widened in shock.

"Sweet Jesus on a Monday, you are_ whipped_." Both of their heads jerked around towards the doorway, where Jayne lounged with a look of profound disinterest on his face.

Rose groaned. "What the hell do you want, Jayne?"

"Cap'n sent me to tell you to head on up to the bridge. Seems Niska's been rattlin' some cages lookin' for your boy toy here."

"Tell 'im I'm busy." Rose's hand moved automatically to the Doctor's, and he laced his fingers with hers without a second thought. He caught her eyes, and a deep sense of belonging settled into her bones. Years of waiting, searching, hoping... she was finally home.

Jayne's bored voice broke into their reverie. "Well, you two are cuter than a pair of puppies, but Mal gets mighty twitchy when people don't snap to his orders." He paused and stared into the distance thoughtfully. "Find it more than a little tiresome myself, but it's on you. My life's easier when he ain't pissed at _me_."

Rose glared fiercely at Jayne, clenching her jaw against the torrent of abuse she wanted to throw at the mercenary. She was tired, she was sore, she'd only just finally found her Doctor (and he was actually conscious, this time!)—but it wasn't Jayne's fault they were interrupted, really, just bad timing.

"If you could kindly remind the Captain that I'm not crew, but a paying passenger, that'd be lovely. Ta." Rose turned around to focus on the Doctor, noting his growing pallor with a tinge of alarm. "Hey."

At her soft voice, the Doctor's gaze shifted from the retreating bulk of Jayne to her face. She smiled happily at him. Emotions flickered over his face like channels on a radio—sorrow, disbelief, joy, pain—before settling on wonder. He carefully traced the contours of her face, a look of unsteady joy spreading over his features as she leaned into his caress.

He opened his mouth to speak, but had to clear his throat carefully before his voice would obey him. His dark eyes were shining in the clear, cool light of the infirmary. "It's really you."

Rose nodded, biting her lip ineffectually against the absurd grin that was fighting its way out.

The Doctor shoved upwards suddenly, ignoring Rose's worried protest as he struggled to sit upright. He panted for a second, and then reached out to pull her face to his for a sudden, fervent kiss. Rose gasped, and his tongue—oh god, his clever tongue—darted forwards, teasing and tangling and tasting. She moaned, and a desperate groan came from the Doctor in response. His long, graceful fingers tangled in the silky lengths of her hair, danced up and down her throat, and generally went about driving her mad. The kiss might've lasted moments, it might've been minutes... the Doctor pulled away gently, resting his forehead against hers while he panted for breath.

"Rose Tyler."

She smiled vaguely, still basking in the warm glow of that kiss. "Mmm?"

His dark eyes opened, and they met hers with all the charge of an electric current. "I love you."

A jubilant smile broke over her face like a sunrise. The Doctor grinned madly and peppered her face with joyful kisses, murmuring _Rose Rose Rose my Rose_ against her skin like a benediction.

She surrounded his bony face with her hands, pressing light kisses against his forehead, his anemically-pale eyelids, his crooked nose, his chapped lips. "I love you. I love you _so_ much."

Mal's irritated voice echoed from the corridor. "Rose! Now I understand wantin' to sit with your Doctor, but we're in a hell of a mess now because of your gorram rescue, and if you don't get your perky behind up to the bridge this minute you can—" He walked into the infirmary and blinked owlishly at the Doctor, who was still resting against Rose.

The Doctor gave him a small wave. "Hello."

Mal spun on his heel and stomped over to the stairs. "JAYNE! Why didn't you tell me he was awake!" When he turned, the Doctor raised an eyebrow at Rose and mouthed, '_perky behind?_'_. _She grinned and shook her head, giggling quietly.

Jayne's offended voice drifted over from the cargo bay. "Weren't much important, far's I can see."

"Well, get Simon down here!" Mal shouted, and strode back into the infirmary. He gave a tight smile, which relaxed into a worried expression as he noticed how much the Doctor was leaning on Rose. "Hey now, you sure you should be up? Looks like you still have some healin' to do."

"I'm fine! Honestly, completely all right." The Doctor winced slightly as he shifted.  
>Rose bit her lip as he leaned against her. He really seemed much too weak to spend more time awake, but she doubted all the power in the universe could stop the Doctor from talking. She looked up and sighed in relief when Simon whirled into the infirmary and began pulling out a gaggle of instruments to start monitoring the Doctor.<p>

"You're awake! I was beginning to be afraid you'd never wake up, and Rose would become a permanent fixture in here."

The Doctor blinked. "What d'you mean by that?"

Simon grinned as he continued his tests, ignoring Rose's frantic gesturing. "She hasn't left your side since we brought you in here."

"Rose! How've you been eating? Sleeping? You should be taking care of yourself!" The Doctor's voice was an odd mixture of pride and scolding, and Rose flushed deeply.

She looked into his eyes defiantly. "Been eating and sleeping in here, mostly. 'An I'd do it again." She smiled softly into his eyes. "I told you before, I'm not leavin' you."

Their eyes locked, the weight of memory hanging on both of them. Simon carefully studied his instruments and Mal coughed awkwardly. Rose and the Doctor blinked and glanced around them, and the Doctor gave Mal a brilliant grin. "So! What's this I hear about Niska causing trouble? If there's one thing Rose and I are good at, it's solving trouble. Or making it. Actually, scratch that first bit—we're much better at making trouble, really."

Mal snorted. "You ain't much different than _Serenity_, then."

The Doctor paused, eyes gazing into eternity. "Serenity?"

Mal's gaze sharpened on him. "My ship. The one you're on, and the one Rose here's been staying on for the last several weeks."

"Really, now? Well, it's lovely to be here, Captain...?"

"Reynolds. Malcolm Reynolds."

"Captain Malcolm Reynolds of the_ Serenity_. Oh, it _is_ a pleasure to meet you." The Doctor beamed and shook Mal's hand enthusiastically, while Rose tried (and failed) to hide her amusement at Mal's befuddled expression.

"Okay... Rose, I need you back on the bridge. Niska's been sniffing around, and we have to figure out a plan to deal with him." Mal glanced over the Doctor's scarred frame and met Rose's eyes with more than a little worry. "This guy plays for keeps."

She raised her chin. "That slimy bastard's not getting anywhere near the Doctor again."

Mal nodded sharply, but the worry didn't leave his face. "The sooner we come up with a plan to deal with this, the better."

Simon yelped as the Doctor swung his legs off the table and prepared to stand. "Whoa, whoa whoa—where do you think you're going?"

The Doctor blinked at him. "To help, of course. I was around Niska for months. I know how he thinks."

Rose firmly pushed the Doctor back onto the infirmary bed, and he looked at her with betrayal in his eyes. "Hey!"

Rose glared down at him, but her hand was gentle as she brushed his hair away from his eyes. "If you think I'm just gonna stand here while you go trottin' off half-dead, that enormous brain of yours isn't working."

"Rose, I'm fine! Honestly! And I can help, you know I can!"

"I've no doubt you could help, Doctor, but if I have to sit on you to stop you from harin' off 'cause you're too bloody stubborn to see sense, I will. Don't you doubt _that_."

Simon coughed carefully, his hand hiding the grin twitching at the corners of his mouth. "Captain, is there any particular reason this meeting has to be held on the bridge?"

Mal snorted inelegantly. "It's the bridge! It's where we discuss things."

The surgeon raised an eyebrow. "And you can't see the value of having the meeting somewhere where the Doctor can safely be a part of the discussion?"

Mal paused, and the muscles in his jaw twitched. "Oh, wipe that smirk off your face. I'll go get Zoe."

He stalked out of the room, and the Doctor relaxed on the bed. He practically purred as Rose carded her fingers through his hair.

Simon stared at the results of his tests and shook his head. "I just can't believe it. Five days after we bring you back, barely alive, and your body's nearly as good as new. Still undernourished, but some vitamin bars should help with that." He met the Doctor's eyes wistfully. "If only humans could mend that quickly."

The Doctor's shoulders tensed, but Rose rested one of her hands on him, and he relaxed somewhat. "Don't worry, Doctor. He's trustworthy."

Simon looked back at the data and sighed. "I've never seen anything like this. It's incredible."

The Doctor sighed. "You won't see anything like it again. At least, not for a while—not if Niska keeps going as he has."

"Doctor, what's he been doing?"

"I'll save it for the meeting. Now, I have one question for you, Rose Marion Tyler—" Rose gulped, and the Doctor's gaze intensified even more, "_How?_"

She paused, stared down at the table, the floor, the instruments Simon was putting away, the small smudge on the back of her hand. The Doctor's hand cupped her chin and turned her to face him, and their eyes met. "I need to know, Rose. I tried so hard to find a way back to you, but nothing ever worked. The closest I could get was that damn beach in Norway."

She took a deep breath, but faltered as Mal and Zoe came into the infirmary and Simon left. "Later, all right? I swear, I'll tell you all about it—just, not right now. Please." He met her eyes gravely and nodded, but she noticed he kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes. She squeezed his hand, and he returned her grip. Odd, that she should have missed holding his hand more than almost anything else.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Mal surveyed the two of them, his eyes on their clasped hands. Whatever he saw must've satisfied him, because he nodded and addressed the Doctor. "So. You said you know how Niska thinks—there anythin' in particular you think we should know?"

"It might be more worthwhile for you to tell me what you know of him first, so I can fill in the gaps."

Zoe cleared her throat. "We know he's one of the wealthiest, most powerful crime lords in the 'Verse. What Niska wants, Niska gets—most of the time, at least."

The Doctor cocked his head, and his hair brushed Rose's cheek. She had to fight back a shiver. "Yes, you were the team that nearly crippled him before, weren't you? He liked to regale me with his plans for you." His eyes darkened. "Say what you will about his complete and utter lack of empathy or conscience, no one could deny that the man has quite the imagination. Reminded me quite a bit of an old friend of mine." He laughed bitterly. "I kept my eyes open for a fob watch the whole time I was there."

Mal's eyebrows drew up in confusion, but his voice was level when he spoke. "Nice as it is to know he remembers us, what else did you learn?"

"I'm assuming you're familiar with the Blue Sun Corporation?"

"'Course we are. They're everywhere. What, you sayin' Niska's been secretly selling canned goods?" His sarcasm faded when he noticed how serious the Doctor was.

"Oh, no. Blue Sun is far more than what they appear. Have you never wondered how that one corporation managed to end up everywhere the Alliance has touched?"

"Just thought they were smart businesspeople." Zoe's voice was calm and measured, but her gaze was intent on the Doctor. "Corporations can show up anywhere, if they're powerful enough."

"Blue Sun in powerful, there's no doubt about that. I suppose I worded my question incorrectly earlier." He paused and met their eyes seriously. "Have you never wondered how the Alliance managed to end up everywhere Blue Sun has appeared?"

Mal snorted. "What, you're sayin' that Blue Sun's the one controllin' the Alliance? That's absurd."

"Not as crazy as you might think." Mal turned a baleful gaze on Rose, but she met his eyes levelly and continued. "Where I came from, there were plenty of corporations that were more powerful than just about half the countries in the world. When money talks, Captain Reynolds, almost anyone will listen."

"And Blue Sun is far more than a corporation." The Doctor smiled crookedly. "That's just their cover, as it were. Have you ever heard of the Shadow Proclamation?" When both Zoe and Mal shook their heads, he nodded thoughtfully. "No, of course you wouldn't have. They're too cautious for that."

Mal was watching the Doctor with narrowed eyes. "_Who_ is?"

"Blue Sun, of course. What they've done is extraordinary, really, if more than a bit twisted." He looked at Mal and Zoe. "What's your opinion on aliens?"

Mal blinked, and Zoe raised an eyebrow before speaking. "I know just about every two-bit charlatan claims to have one, but I've never seen any proof."

"Zoe, was it?" When she nodded, the Doctor grinned. "Good name, Zoe. I once had a dear friend named Zoe. She had her memories of me erased, but that's neither here nor there. You wanted proof? You're talking to it." He waggled his fingers at her. "Hello."

"You're an alien." He nodded, still grinning, and she crossed her arms. "You'll forgive me if I'm a bit skeptical."

"Nothing wrong with a little skepticism. Ol' Pyrrho was always fun to argue with. If you want more evidence, though, check out the scans the good doctor left on the counter." He leaned more firmly against Rose as Zoe picked up the scans and looked over them, Mal watching over her shoulder.

Mal raised his eyebrows. "Huh. Never seen two hearts on somebody before. Seen hearts that weren't theirs to begin with, sure, but never two at once."

"Oh, these two are definitely mine. Had 'em the whole time I've had this body. I'm what's known as a Time Lord, incidentally. Two hearts are a regular feature."

"Time Lord?" Mal snorted. "Bit grandiose, isn't it?"

"Hey, I wasn't the one who chose it." The Doctor shifted uncomfortably. "The only one. Anyway! Blue Sun. Judging from your attire and your bearing, I'd guess you were both Independents?" Both Zoe and Mal nodded cautiously, and he continued. "Did you ever wonder _how_ exactly the Alliance managed to outgun and outman you so thoroughly?"

Mal's jaw clenched, and Zoe stiffened. Rose tightened her hand around the Doctor's, and he winced. "Sorry, was that rude? I have a tendency to be rude, this time around." He cleared his throat. "Now, according to what I remember of the politics of this period, the Alliance seems to have a finger in everyone's pie, so to speak. Blue Sun, though—they surround the berries that make up the pies." He paused. "I think that analogy got away from me. But think about it: Blue Sun sells everything from canned goods to travel packages. They've managed to work their way into every single person in this system's way of life. And _that_ is what keeps them from being noticed. They're everywhere, so they're nowhere. They can do their experiments in peace, without anyone the wiser—and if anyone _does_ happen to notice, they can use either the Alliance or people like Niska to wipe them out without ever getting their own hands dirty."

Mal frowned. "What experiments are you talkin' about?"

"I think you know, Captain. If I'm not mistaken, one of the victims has been living here for quite some time." The Doctor paused. "And according to my findings, you've most likely run into several others."

Zoe leaned against the counter, watching the Doctor. "We haven't seen anyone else like River, if that's what you mean."

"I didn't mean like that. River escaped relatively unscathed, in comparison to the victims I was referring to."

Mal spoke up angrily. "_Unscathed? _We've all heard her screamin' in the night, Doctor. You call that unscathed?"

"River can still be healed, Captain. But the others aren't so lucky." He swallowed. "I believe the common name for them is Reavers."

The blood drained from Mal and Zoe's faces.

Rose frowned. "I've heard horror stories about them—tales of blood and madness. A lot of people seem to think they don't exist."

Zoe swallowed heavily. "They exist, all right. Trust me when I say that if you ever run into them, death is a kindness."

"_Laotian bu_, somebody _made_ them?" Mal gripped the countertop tightly, his knuckles showing yellow-white against his skin.

"Did you think they were just a coincidence? They patrol the outer reaches of this system, so violently mad that no one sane would ever chance invading their territory—so despite the terraforming technology that allows the settling of previously uninhabitable planets, no one ever dares venture beyond that barrier. The universe is a boundless and extraordinarily diverse place, Captain Reynolds. There are species out there that defy all description and even reason, and yet this system is populated only by humans, and aliens are nothing more than a cheap sideshow attraction. That's what makes Blue Sun's enterprise so extraordinary. They've managed to create a control group out of an entire star system."

The infirmary was silent after the Doctor stopped speaking, the humans in the room trying to grasp the scale of his explanation. Rose rubbed the back of the Doctor's hand with her thumb unconsciously. "That's how the Shadow Proclamation hasn't noticed, isn't it?" When he raised his eyebrows, she continued. "Blue Sun has immersed themselves in their own experiment and left the Alliance in control. The Proclamation can't tell who's actually running the show."

He beamed at her, gripping her hand more tightly. "Exactly. It's phenomenal, really, what they've managed to do. Aliens had been visiting Earth since you lot first stuck your little heads out of the primordial ooze—yours truly included—so any experiments they did there would be tainted by extraterrestrial influence. Here, though, only humans exist, and in such a number they can have endless diversity in their tests. Tell me, Zoe, what led to the settling of this particular star system?"

She frowned. "The Earth was used up, so we had to leave and find new planets to settle. Everyone knows that."

"Or everybody _thinks_ they know that. If the terraforming technology was so advanced that a frozen wasteland could become habitable farmland, though, why didn't they use that technology on good old Mother Earth, hmm?"

Mal ran a hand roughly through his hair. "Assuming I believe you, _why_ would they do that? Why do they want to isolate us—humans, I guess—so much?"

The Doctor grinned. "There's something about humans that defies understanding, really. You're such fragile creatures, and yet you're_ everywhere_. Rassilon knows I still don't understand you, and I've been watching you for centuries. You lot have committed some of the vilest atrocities the universe has ever seen, but I've also seen moments of love and self-sacrifice that defy description. And you never stop _looking!_ You're so frail, and yet you dash off head-long into the unknown, just to see what's there. I don't blame them for wanting to find out what makes humans human, really. You're all such mysteries."

He gripped Rose's hand at that, and she bit her lip. The Doctor certainly loved humans, but she wasn't sure how this him would react to finding out that she wasn't fully human any longer. The Eighth Doctor hadn't minded, to be sure—but he also wasn't the one who knew her before her change.

"So that's what they're trying to do, then? 'Find out what makes humans human'?" Zoe raised her eyebrow skeptically. "Where do Reavers fit in that plan, exactly?"

"I may have been a bit… enthusiastic when speaking about their intentions. From what I've seen, they not only want to understand humans better, but they want to _make_ them better." The Doctor grimaced as if he'd just tasted something foul. "The Academy would be an example of this. Do you have any idea what River Tam is capable of?" Mal shook his head cautiously, and the Doctor sighed. "Be thankful you've never had occasion to find out." He paused and looked down, his eyes dark. "From the files I found, the Reavers were created as the result of an experiment gone wrong on a planet called Miranda."

"Miranda?" Mal frowned. "There ain't nothin' there, as far as I know. Place has been empty for years now."

"Yes, they said it was a terraforming mishap. They lied. It's no coincidence that Miranda is in the heart of Reaver territory. There was a drug that they'd introduced to the atmosphere there that was supposed to make the inhabitants more peaceful, more complaint. For most of the population, it worked—far better than they had planned, actually. Five thousand people stopped fighting, stopped working… eventually, they lost so much interest that they stopped eating, and just lay down and died. For 0.1% of the population, though, it had the opposite effect. Those 0.1% went mad, and became what you would call Reavers."

"_Xiāohàn_." Mal covered his mouth with his hand, staring at nothing.

Zoe cleared her throat. "Who else know about this?"

"As few people as possible. Those that headed the original project have been eliminated, and they've covered their tracks carefully, but there are still a few witnesses alive." The Doctor's jaw tightened. "One of them was only exposed by accident, but they've been looking for her ever since."

Rose paled. "River." The Doctor nodded, and Mal swore again.

"That's why they're after her so hard? She knows about this?"

"It's amazing how thick having power can make you, sometimes. The lead scientists at the Academy wanted to show off their star pupil, so they exhibited her to some of the highest-ranking officials from both Blue Sun and the Alliance. They just happened to forget that one of the many skills they'd forced on her was telepathy."

Mal shook his head. "_Fúdìmó_. The knowledge to change the universe, and she's been carryin' it around inside her brain. No wonder she's crazy."

(_Laotian bu_- God (Heavens), no)

(_Xiāohàn_- heavens above)


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Mal and Zoe left soon after that, both looking more than a little shaken. Simon slipped back in the door as the others left, and considered the pair at the table carefully.

"Doctor, I've done as much as I can in here. Mal might be able to open up a bunk for you, if you'd be more comfortable resting elsewhere—and that is the one thing I must insist on. Alien or no, you need more rest."

Rose cleared her throat and fought down her blush as both doctors turned to look at her.  
>"He can rest in my bunk. I'll be okay elsewhere—"<p>

"You're not leaving, Rose." The Doctor turned to Simon briskly. "Will that do?"

"Well, the bunks are rather small. I'm not sure if they'll fit two people..."

"We'll make it fit." At that, the Doctor turned back to Rose and started to carefully shift off the table.

She stood next to him, clasping his long arm around her shoulders as he stood. "Come on, Doctor. My bunk's right over here."

She led him carefully through the doorway and over to the passenger dorm. Thank god she'd decided against the second story bunk—there was no way the Doctor was in the condition to climb a ladder. They slipped into the tiny room and Rose carefully pulled the door shut behind her.

"Well." She helped him sit on the narrow bed, and gestured helplessly at the little room, her clothes and gear tossed around it carelessly. "Home sweet home, for the moment."

"Rose." She turned to meet his eyes and twitched her shoulders nervously. "How are you here?"

She bit her lip as she sat down next to him. "Doctor... "

"Just blurt it out, Rose. I'll keep listening, I swear." His lips twitched up, and Rose smiled back at him, laughing a little unsteadily.

"I've already told you, actually." She bit her lip and looked at him. His eyebrows were drawn together in confusion. "I'm not sure how this works, but you said you'd lock the memories away until it was safe to access them, which would be when I found this you again." His eyes had widened comically, and she shrugged helplessly at him. "You were in your eighth incarnation, and it was just before…" she swallowed. "Just before you got called back to Gallifrey."

The Doctor closed his eyes, his pale face a mask of concentration. Within moments, they snapped open again, and he stared at her, speechless.

She held her hands up and waved them vaguely. "Surprise."

"Oh, Rose." His eyes were wide. "I'm so sorry."

She lifted her chin. "I'm not. Yeah, my life may not've always been easy, but I don't regret a minute of it."

"But your family!"

"I got to live with 'em for years, Doctor. I watched my parents try to figure out their anniversary together, saw Mickey become head of Torchwood, and got to see my little brother grow into an amazing young man. I've lived through a lot of things, Doctor, and yeah—some of them might not have been easy. But they've made me who I am, so don't wish them away from me." She grinned a little. "Besides, I've learned how to do some useful things over the years." She stood in the center of the room and concentrated, and vanished in a golden glow.

The Doctor scrambled up, panicked. "Rose? ROSE?"

She reappeared a moment later, holding a very familiar brown pinstriped suit and long tan overcoat. She grinned, her tongue poking out between her teeth. "Thought you might like these back—I forgot to get 'em earlier."

The Doctor grabbed her hand and pulled her down on the bed with him, his long limbs wrapping around her as his mouth sought out hers. Rose made a happy little squeak and shifted herself closer to him until there was no space between them, just the warm, heavy heat that was growing with every caress of his tongue against hers. His hands drifted over her shoulders, her back, her waist, mapping every dip and curve of her body. She let her hands explore his frame, dancing over the long planes of his back and running up the ridges of his spine, smoothing over the sharp edges of his hips and the slight roundness of his bum.

She pulled back after a moment, worry interrupting her. He followed her lips, but she rested a finger against his and shuddered when he kissed it. "Are you sure? You only just woke up, and the doctor said you should rest…"

He smirked up at her, all messy hair and insouciance, and she felt her determination waver. "He may be_ a _doctor, Rose, but I am _the_ Doctor. And I am perfectly. All. Right," he continued, punctuating each word with a kiss. At that, she smiled and finally sank down into his embrace.

* * *

><p>Later, Rose lay awake, staring at the ceiling as the Doctor snored gently, his head pillowed against her chest. She carded her fingers through his hair, smiling slightly as he made a contented purring noise even in his sleep. If she'd ever been worried about them not knowing what to do when they found each other again, those lingering doubts had just been soundly answered.<p>

The smile faded as she considered their situation. The Doctor was separated from the TARDIS, and from comments Mal had made earlier, Ariel wasn't just a quick jaunt away. Niska was hunting for them, and Blue Sun had to be aware by now that one of their most dangerous—to them, at least—prisoners was now on the loose. Rose swallowed heavily, unconsciously holding him more closely to her. She wasn't going to lose him again. She'd never traveled tandem in the Vortex before, but if she had to try it, she would—even if it meant leaving the crew of the _Serenity_ behind.

"Rose." She blinked and looked down to meet the Doctor's eyes. His gaze was a bit bleary from sleep, but he was watching her anxiously. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She tried to smile, and he snorted.

"I know you better than that. Something's bothering you." His eyes softened. "Tell me, Rose."

She gasped in a breath and realized belatedly that she was crying. "I just… I'm so afraid of losing you again. I've been looking for you for so long, and I just found you, and now all these other people are hunting for you… what are we supposed to do?"

He shifted up and rolled over, pulling Rose into his chest. She curled into him with a shudder, and he smoothed a hand over her hair. "We'll do what we always do, Rose. Expose the bad guys and save the day." He paused, considering. "Oh, and we'll probably run. Can't forget the running." She laughed a little damply into his chest and he smiled. "We'll be all right, Rose. After all, if you managed to find me again, what_ can't_ we do?"

She sighed, calming as he played with her hair. "It took me long enough."

"Still. You found me, Rose." He smiled and wrapped his hand around hers. "I should really know better than to use the word 'impossible' around you. You just go about proving me wrong." He glanced over at the suit that was tossed over her desk and cleared his throat. "Rose, can you reach my suit jacket from there?"

She blinked and sat up, shivering in the cool air. She had to stretch to reach the desk from her bed, but the Doctor certainly didn't seem to mind. She glanced down at him and smirked. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

The Doctor just grinned, his eyes decidedly _not_ on her face, so she giggled and dropped his jacket on his head. He groaned, his voice muffled through the light wool. "Now, why'd you have to go and ruin a perfectly nice view?"

Rose rolled her eyes and settled against his chest again, tucking the blanket back around them both. "'Cause you asked me to, genius."

He pulled the jacket off his head, his hair looking somewhere between a bramble and a porcupine. "Technically, I only asked if you could reach it." At her look, he subsided and began digging through the pockets, a look of deep concentration on his face. Rose watched him, amused, as he stuck his arm shoulder-deep into the small pocket inside the front. "_Ha!_" He grinned triumphantly and began pulling his arm out, only to stop before it was fully free. He looked down at Rose and swallowed. "Do you remember the market on Hylos?"

She frowned thoughtfully. "That was where I picked up the Bezoolium for Mum, right?"

"Exactamundo." He made a face. "Wait, no. I'd said I wouldn't use that word anymore."

She raised an eyebrow. "Doctor? You goin' somewhere with this?"

"Right. I found something there while you were shopping for Jackie, only I never really worked up the courage to give it to you." He swallowed. "Then Canary Wharf happened, and I lost my chance."

Rose's eyes were wide and disbelieving, and he smiled nervously. "The Hylans aren't just able to predict weather with their trinkets. They can show almost anything, really." He cleared his throat. "But I saw this, and I thought you would like it."

He pulled out his fist, letting the jacket fall to the floor, and opened his hand to reveal a slender silver ring, intricately carved and set with a cluster of small, multi-colored gemstones. He swallowed and looked down at her left hand, resting against his chest. "May I?" Rose nodded, too overwhelmed to speak. The ring fit on her finger as if it was made for her, and as soon as it was settled, the stones shifted in color to a clear golden shade. The Doctor grinned down at it, enthralled. "Can I take that as a yes?"

She stared at the ring, blinking back tears. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse, but she couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. "Wait, did you seriously get me a _mood ring_ for an engagement ring?"

The Doctor shifted uncomfortably and reached up to tug on his earlobe. "Well, I thought you would like it, and this way it'll be useful, too."

She giggled and dropped her forehead against his shoulder. "You know you can just ask me how I'm feeling, right?"

He shrugged. "Where's the fun in that?"

Rose grinned and sat up, bracing herself above him. "You could get answers like this."

Asking questions, the Doctor reminded himself later, was _always_ a good thing.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

When Rose woke early the next morning, the Doctor was already awake and dressed, sitting at her desk tinkering with her sonic screwdriver. He glanced over at her as she sat up, pulling the blankets up around her. "Good thing I decided to give this to you when I did. The escape from Niska probably would have taken quite a bit longer without it."

Rose yawned and pushed the hair out of her eyes, wincing a little as her ring caught in the tangles. "I haven't been able to figure out that many settings on it, but at least the 'opening locks' setting is simple enough." She raised an eyebrow and got up, padding around picking up her clothes for the day as he completely failed at watching her inconspicuously. "'S there a reason there's a setting that sends out a frog's mating call?"

"Oh, I'd forgotten about that!" He stared off into the distance and grimaced. "There was a reason I'd forgotten about that."

She snickered and tugged a blue jumper over her head, pulling her boots on over her jeans. "Do I want to know?"

"Rose, _I_ don't want to know. Let's leave it at that, shall we?" As she finished dressing, he reached out a long arm and pulled her into his lap, kissing her enthusiastically. He grinned once he'd released her. "Good morning."

She smiled and rested her forehead against his. "Good morning."

He paused and moved his tongue around his mouth, considering. "Did you know your mouth tastes a bit like day-old milk?"

She shoved off him and pulled out the collapsible sink to brush her teeth, and he pouted. "I didn't say I minded!"

There was a knock at the door, and the Doctor opened it to find Simon standing there. "Oh, hello."

The younger doctor flushed. "Hello. I just wanted to check how you were feeling this morning."

"Oh, loads better. Really. A spot of rest was just what I needed."

"Rest. Yes." Simon flushed an even deeper red, and he cleared his throat awkwardly and glanced between Rose and the Doctor. "Just so you know, the walls aren't actually very thick around here." The Doctor turned an interesting shade of magenta at that, and Rose began laughing around her toothbrush, the paste threatening to spill out of her mouth. Simon nodded nervously. "You definitely seem like you're feeling better, so I'll just leave you two alone now. The Shepherd made some breakfast, so that's in the galley if you want any."

He hurried away, and the Doctor turned to Rose as she finally spit out her toothpaste and rinsed her mouth out, still giggling. He winced. "On a scale of one to ten, exactly how embarrassed should I be?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it. They're good people, really. Simon might not be able to look you in the eye for a few days and Jayne probably won't be able to keep his mouth shut, but that's about it." She grinned and looped her arms around his shoulders. "Besides, since when did you care what anyone else thought?"

"That's true." He grinned and waggled his eyebrows. "And if I bothered with embarrassment, I wouldn't enjoy more nights like last night."

"Cool and collected, that's you." He nodded, and she snickered. "That would be why your ears are still bright red."

He paused and cleared his throat. "Breakfast sounds good right about now, don't you think?"

Rose rolled her eyes, but led him to the galley. Kaylee, Book, and Jayne were sitting at the table, with River curled up in a nest of cushions in the corner.

Kaylee smiled brightly at them. "Good mornin'! There's some porridge on the stove, with plenty of dried apricots mixed in. I thought it might be nice to have somethin' extra special this morning." Jayne grinned lewdly and opened his mouth, and she smacked him upside the head without a second glance. "I'm Kaylee, by the way. It's a real pleasure to meetcha."

The Doctor smiled warmly and spooned up some breakfast for himself and Rose. "Same here." He glanced at the others. "Your names are…?"

The Shepherd nodded at him. "Shepherd Book." He smiled. "May I say it's wonderful to see you doing better? We were quite worried about you for a bit there."

Jayne opened his mouth again, and Kaylee cut him a severe look. He scowled at her. "The name's Jayne Cobb."

The Doctor nodded politely at them both, though his eyebrows were raised. "Jayne? Interesting. Isn't that usually a girl's name?" The mercenary glowered at him, and the Doctor raised his hands, dripping a bit of porridge on the table. "Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course. Haven't you ever heard of 'A Boy Named Sue'?" The Serenity crew looked at him blankly, and he shook his head. "No, of course not. Never mind. Old Earth singer." Rose poked him in the side, looking at him curiously, and he smiled at her and answered her unspoken question. "Johnny Cash."

Shepherd Book raised his eyebrows and sipped his coffee. "Are you a historian then, Doctor…?"

"I suppose you could call me that, yeah—and it's just the Doctor, thanks." He grinned.

Jayne snorted and leaned his chair back, playing with his knife. "What's got Niska so fired up about some dusty little book-humper, then? You sure don't look like a threat to me." River laughed to herself in the corner, and he shot her a nervous look.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "Oh, history's everywhere you look, in every breath you breathe. If you tell enough people the right history, you can shape the universe as you see fit." He paused and looked at River, who was watching him intently. "You can even erase planets."

She spoke quietly, peering at him through dark sheets of hair. "You know."

"I do indeed. You don't have to carry it alone anymore, River."

She bent forward and closed her eyes, pulling her knees in tight to her chest as she rocked. "There's so much screaming. Can you stop the screaming?"

The Doctor sighed. "I'm afraid not. There'll be no peace for them but death. I _can_ teach you how to not hear them anymore, though."

Jayne looked back and forth between them, his eyes going wide. "Oh, hell. We've got ourselves _two_ Readers on board."

The Doctor glanced over at him and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you needn't worry about my interest your thoughts. I'll stay far away, I promise you."

"Thanks." Jayne blinked. "I think."

Book took another sip of coffee to hide the twitch at the corners of his mouth. "What exactly _is_ it Niska wants you for? From what I've heard of the man, historians generally aren't in his wheelhouse."

"Oh, it's not the man himself who wants me." The Doctor grinned a little, his eyes dark. "In fact, I'd say he was getting rather distinctly tired of me. It's his higher-ups that want me back."

Jayne straightened unobtrusively at that, his eyes brightening. A throat was cleared in the hallway, and they looked up to see Mal standing there, watching Jayne closely. "I see you've met the rest of the crew, Doctor." He snagged a nutrition bar from the counter, and Wash hurried into the room.

"Captain? We're getting a hail, and I think you'll want to see this." The Doctor and Rose glanced at each other and followed the rest of the crew to the bridge.

Mal glanced at the planet of origin and did a double take, his eyes widening. "Sihnon?" He gripped the nutrition bar so tightly the packaging ripped.

The screen flickered to life and Rose found herself looking at a stunningly beautiful brunette, her shoulders wrapped in a soft, deep red cloth. "This is Inara Serra of the Companion's Guild, calling the _Serenity_. _Serenity,_ do you read me?"

Wash flipped a switch and leaned forward in his chair. "Read you loud and clear, ambassador—and aren't you a sight for sore eyes?"

She smiled into the screen, her dark eyes twinkling. "It's good to see you, too, Wash. How's Zoe?"

"Doin' great, Inara." He cleared his throat and grinned. "We're actually expecting our first, in about eight months."

Zoe pinched the bridge of her nose as the bridge exploded into noise, and he glanced over his shoulder at the others, blushing. "Oh. Had I forgotten to tell everybody?"

Kaylee groaned. "Yes, you did." She leaned over his shoulder to speak to the screen. "How's the teaching goin', Inara? Is it as amazing as it sounds?"

"Hello, _mei mei._" Inara glanced around her and leaned closer to the screen, lowering her voice. "I'm actually calling because my teaching was interrupted just a bit ago. A few friends of yours came by, Mal. They were a little… distracting."

Mal paled. "_D__iyù._ You okay, Inara?"

"I'm fine, but they were quite firm about wanting me to go with them." A thud sounded at the door of her room, and she glanced over at it and paled. "I've got to go." She focused on the screen again and smiled, but her eyes were still anxious. "Don't worry, Mal."

She hurried off-screen, and a familiar grinding noise began to echo through the bridge. A few moments after it faded away, the pair of men that had been hunting Rose forced their way into the room.

Mal's face looked like it had been carved from granite. "Close the channel, Wash."

The screen went black, and there was silence in the bridge. Mal paced back and forth before kicking the wall furiously. "_Ni tama de tianxia suoyou de ren dou gaisi_. I should've _told_ her somebody was after us—hell, I should have gone to get her myself."

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Actually, I believe I can help with that." Mal glared at him, and he shrugged. "It seems like quite a neat little time loop."

"What the _d__iyù _are you talking about?"

"That noise you heard, right after Inara disappeared? That's the sound of my ship, the TARDIS. If you want her safe, Captain, I'd suggest you chart a course to Ariel."

Mal glared at him. "And why would I do that?"

"That's where I left her, of course."

"Mal." He turned to Rose, and she swallowed at the helpless anger in his eyes. "What I can do with time is nothin' compared to the TARDIS. If you want Inara safe, we should head to Ariel."

He didn't move, watching her evenly. Kaylee bit her lip, and he finally turned to Wash, scowling. "You heard 'em. Ariel it is." He looked around at the others and tightened his jaw. "Wash, after you set the course, join us in the galley. I think a talk's in order."

(_mei mei-_ little sister)

(_d__iyù_- hell)

(_Ni tama de tianxia suoyou de ren dou gaisi- _[You] F**k everyone in the universe to death)


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Rose sat against the wall of the galley, shoulder to shoulder with the Doctor. He wrapped his hand around hers, and she grinned at him. Kaylee glanced over at them and smiled—then her jaw dropped as she noticed the ring on Rose's finger. She glanced back and forth between them, eyes wide. "Was that there this mornin'?"

Rose giggled and bit her lip. "Has been since last night."

"Congratulations!" She broke into a smile and sighed happily. "That's so romantic!"

Mal cleared his throat, bringing the crew's eyes back to him, where he stood at the head of the table. "Nice as all that may be, we've got more on our plates here, people." He looked at Simon and River and took a deep breath. "We've known the Alliance was after River since you first came on board, Simon. Thanks to the Doctor, though, now we know why they're after her, and it ain't pretty."

Simon sat up, his face pale. "Wait, you found out why they're after River?" At the Captain's nod, he flushed angrily. "Why didn't you _tell _me?"

River tossed her head and smiled crookedly. "It wasn't time." She giggled softly.

"The Doctor only told us last night, Simon." Mal looked over at the Doctor and raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to tell them, or should I?"

"I can do it." The Doctor cleared his throat and looked around at the others. "River was to be the pinnacle of an ongoing project, a super-spy capable of collecting any information, of neutralizing any target. What they _didn't _realize was that she was strong enough to use their own training against them. By the time her brother broke her out of their training facility, River had collected enough information to tear apart the world as you know it." He met her eyes as she watched him intently. "River, you see, was not the first to fall victim to the Blue Sun Corporation's experiments."

"Blue Sun?" Simon frowned. "I thought the Academy was created by the Alliance."

"Oh, the government may have been the face of it, but they weren't the ones pulling the strings." He leaned forward and scanned their faces. "Tell me, how long has the Blue Sun Corporation been around?"

Surprisingly, it was Jayne who answered. "Least 6 centuries, far's I can tell. They were the ones who made the terraforming tech in the first place." He scowled at the dumbfounded expressions around him. "What? I know my history."

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Jayne's right. They've been here as long as you have, and they've been planning this for just as long." He looked around. "Have you never questioned _why_ out here—in the vastness of space, with more than forty habitable planets in this system—you've never encountered alien life?"

Some frowned, some shook their heads. He rolled his eyes with a groan, but Rose poked him in the side before he could start ranting. "Get on with it, Doctor."

He smiled a little down at her before continuing. "Blue Sun did that. All of the vastness and the diversity of space, and they cordoned off this one system to keep purely human, with no contamination from non-human entities."

Shepherd Book frowned, his brow furrowed. "Entities like what, exactly?"

"Like, for example, me."

There was a moment of stunned silence before Wash spoke. "Wait, _seriously?_" He looked around at the others. "Are we really going to believe this guy's an alien?"

Simon cleared his throat. "Check his charts, if you want proof."

Zoe glanced at her husband and quirked a small smile at him. "It's true, baby."

"Oh, my god." Wash huffed out a strangled laugh. "We've got a psychic and an alien on board. This is nuts."

Kaylee spoke up, her eyebrows drawn together. "How're they keepin' it to just humans, then, if space's as big as all that?"

The Doctor sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It used to be more complex, but now it's just Reavers, mostly."

Jayne stiffened. "Somebody's controllin' the Reavers?"

"Not as such, no." He looked around again and met River's eyes. She curled up into a ball, hiding her face in Simon's shoulder, and the Doctor looked down at his hands. "Reavers aren't simple humans, gone mad from too long in space." His mouth twisted into a grimace. "They were created. Years ago there was an experiment gone wrong on Miranda, an attempt to drug the population into compliance. For 99.9% of the population, the G-23 Paxilon Hydrochlorate worked entirely too well—over _30 million _settlers became so docile that eventually even breathing became too much of an effort, so they just lay down and… stopped." He took a deep breath, released it. "The remaining 0.1%, though—they had the opposite reaction. They became less than animals, so consumed with rage and madness that they lost hold of everything but the primal drive to violate and destroy."

"_Laotian zhishang_." Wash looked like he was about to vomit. Simon was pale as a sheet, and Kaylee was staring at the floor, her eyes wide and glimmering with tears. Even Jayne looked shaken, but Zoe, Mal, and Book just looked grim.

The Doctor looked up as he continued. "So Blue Sun took advantage of the whole mess, allowing the Reavers to spread out until they'd ringed the whole system, so violently mad that no one would ever dare explore beyond them. Of course, there are other methods of transportation in the universe than simple flight, and for that possibility, they employ someone a bit more calculating." He smiled crookedly. "As I discovered when I got to meet the charming Mr. Niska."

Shepherd Book raised his eyebrow. "If they've got as much influence as that, what can we do to stop them?"

"There are two people that the Blue Sun Corporation should never have let out of their sight. One of them is River Tam." He grinned suddenly, but it wasn't from happiness. "The other is me."

Mal cleared his throat, crossing his arms. "So what _do_ you plan on doin' about it, Doctor?"

"Do you recall that I asked you about the Shadow Proclamation last night?" At Mal's confused nod, he continued. "The Shadow Proclamation is an intergalactic governmental body that has been around since time immemorial. They've dedicated themselves to the well-being of their member planets and any affiliated species, and what the Blue Sun Corporation has been doing is in direct violation of intergalactic law."

Simon looked up, the muscles in his jaw twitching. "How are we supposed to contact them, then?"

"That's where I come in." The Doctor grinned. "I'm actually a signatory member of the Shadow Proclamation, and once we retrieve my ship from Ariel, gaining access to them will be no problem. With River's help, I can retrieve the necessary proof to break this whole plot wide open."

River looked up at him from Simon's shoulder and straightened. "The truth is hidden on the planet of the dead."

Kaylee looked up and cleared her throat, rubbing the tears from her face with a greasy hand. "What about all the normal folks, Doctor? What about the people who can't survive without Blue Sun, an' them that never saw anythin' wrong with the Alliance?"

Mal's voice cut across the Doctor. "We'll tell 'em the truth." He looked around at the others, his voice deepening as his posture straightened. Zoe had straightened as well, her hand falling away from her husband's as her jaw raised. "There might be them that don't want to hear it, but people need to know what's really goin' on out there. For too long, people have sat back as the Alliance—" the Doctor cleared his throat, and Mal glanced at him, irritated—"_and_ Blue Sun have done as they wanted. We let this settle, those people on Miranda are forgotten, and I won't let that happen. Someone has to speak for them's that can't speak anymore, an' if it has to start with us, then so be it." He looked at Wash. "How long 'till we reach Ariel?"

Wash cleared his throat. "Two weeks, sir."

Mal nodded grimly. "Then think on this, people. Y'all got on this boat for different reasons, but y'all come to the same place. So now I'm asking more of you than I have before. Maybe all. After we get to Ariel, there ain't no goin' back. You want out, now'd be the time to go. Once we've started this, I mean to finish it." He looked around at the others, holding their eyes. No one looked away or protested. He nodded abruptly. "Meeting adjourned, I guess."

The meeting broke up quietly, with most of the crew leaving on their own. The Doctor joined Zoe and Mal at the table, and Rose curled up in the corner, watching them. She shook her head and sighed, plopping her head back against the cushions. She really should've known better than to think they'd have a bit of peace after finding each other again, but then again, she wouldn't have it any other way.

Shepherd Book joined her with a sigh. "So it begins again." She raised an eyebrow inquiringly at him, and he gestured at the people at the table. "It wasn't much different from this, the last time people decided to stand up against the Alliance."

Rose frowned, confused. "I thought you were a Shepherd."

"Oh, it was a long time ago." He smiled a little and relaxed back into his chair. "I doubt you were even born yet."

"You'd be surprised." He raised his eyebrows, and Rose continued hurriedly. "So d'you think this is the wrong thing to do?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. "Oh, I have no doubt that telling this story is the right thing to do. I've just seen the cost of this type of right too many times."

Rose swallowed, watching the Doctor. "I think we all have, Shepherd."

Wash's voice came over the intercom, grim and hurried. "Captain? You might want to see this." He paused for a moment. "The rest of you might want to come along, too."

When they'd all crowded into the bridge, he gestured wordlessly at the screen, where a set of pictures was scrolling underneath a large banner that read WANTED—it was each and every person on board the Serenity.

Mal was quiet for a minute. "Huh. So much for the gettin' off, I guess." He paused and grinned at Rose suddenly. "Now what did I say about fillin' the Serenity with the Alliance's most wanted?"

(_Laotian zhishang_- God above)


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

After the rest of the crew had gone to their beds—if not to sleep—for the night, Rose and the Doctor sat curled up together on the couches outside the infirmary. He sighed and pulled her back against his chest, wrapping his arms around her waist and looking at their clasped hands. "Rose?"

"Hmm?"

His voice was quiet and a little sad. "Exactly how many years did you spend looking for me?"

She swallowed and shrugged, her jumper rubbing against his suit. "I don't know, really. Long enough."

His hands tightened around hers. "What would you have done if you hadn't found me?"

Rose sighed and leaned back, resting her forehead against his neck. "Kept looking."

She could feel the movement of the Doctor's scowl against her hair. "That's not an answer."

She snorted quietly. "It is to me." There was a quiet creak in the dorms and River stepped out, almost dwarfed in her knitted robe. She walked forward carefully, keeping a steady gaze on the Doctor as she approached. Rose sat up a little, pulling out of the Doctor's embrace. "River? You all right?"

The girl sat abruptly, perching on a low cushion. She frowned and spoke to the Doctor. "How can you help with the screaming? You hear it, too—all the time. It's burnt into you."

The Doctor sighed. "The pain isn't yours to carry, River."

She rolled her eyes. "Isn't yours, either. One person can't hold the balance of the universe." The Doctor's lips tightened, and she snorted. "No, you _shouldn't _be able to."

After a moment, he cleared his throat, his cheeks tinted pink. "You hear everything, do you?"

"People talk with more than their mouths." River wrapped her arms around her knees. "And I can always hear."

The Doctor frowned. "River, I'm going to ask you something, and it may not be something you want to do—"

River ducked her head and swallowed, but her voice was steady when she spoke. "Yes, I'll show you." She glanced up at him, then returned her gaze to the floor. "I... I don't remember everything they did."

"If you went through it, River, it's still in there. You just can't access it anymore." He took a deep breath and gripped Rose's hand tightly, a grimace of pain moving across his face almost too quickly to see. "But I can. Are you sure you want to do this, River?"

She nodded, her head still against her knees. "My head's too full. Can't see what's inside it anymore."

The Doctor nodded, his hand still wrapped around Rose's. "Going through this again, it might be a little... disruptive. Is there somewhere quiet we could go?"

The girl stood abruptly, her shoulders tense. "Inara's shuttle. It's too full of empty for anyone to go in there."

The Doctor got up to follow her, but turned when Rose let go of his hand and got up to head to the dorms. "Rose?"

She smiled a little and tugged her jumper in place again. "You don't need me there—"

He arched an eyebrow and took her hand again. "I think I get to decide that, don't you think?"

"'S not like I'm goin' to be much help with the mind meld, you know."

"Shows what you know." He tightened his grip on her hand and smiled crookedly. "Stay with me?"

She swallowed, remembering a long-ago day watching dragons fly across burnt-orange skies. "Forever."

River snorted and rolled her eyes. "Come with me."

* * *

><p>Rose looked around the dark, bare shuttle as they entered it, trying to reconcile the stark functionality of the vessel with the elegant brunette she'd seen on the screen earlier that day. Harsh white light came from the single lamp in the center of the ceiling. There was a low, stiff couch built into one wall, but other than the pilot's seat, that seemed to be its one allowance for passenger comfort.<p>

The Doctor sat on the couch facing River and braced his hands at her temples, but glanced at Rose. "Rose, what we're about to do... I'm a little rusty. This used to be a method of gathering evidence for the Time Lords. Of course, consent wasn't always a consideration, with them. But that's not the point." He swallowed. "The point is, we're both going to be rather out of it. I'm going to need you to keep me anchored, Rose. If I go in too deep... let's just say it's not pretty."

She glanced back and forth between them and sat on the pilot's chair, turning it to face them and frowning thoughtfully. "How am I goin' to know? And what do I do, if you do go too deep?"

"You'll know." He smiled at her and slid his eyes shut at the same moment as River, leaving Rose behind.

She snorted and crossed her arms, leaning back against the heavy seat. Somehow she'd forgotten how irritating he could be at times. _I'll know? Great advice, Doctor. Really. It's quite helpful._ She watched them both in the stark light, how their eye moved around under their lids in unison, the shadow of fear that crossed over both of their faces. Time passed quietly as she watched their expressions rapidly grow more and more afraid.

Then they flinched in unison and began to scream, and Rose realized why this had to be done where no one else was around. Whatever the Doctor had initiated… they weren't just watching River's memories. They were re-living them. Rose stared in horror at the frail girl twitching on the couch. _Oh, god. And River knew this would happen. _

Rose slipped off the seat to kneel between them, intent on breaking the connection, on stopping the horrible spasms and whimpers—but the Doctor's voice came back to her, nervous but full of trust. _'You'll know.'_ Something told her she shouldn't break it yet, and she managed to keep herself from tearing the Doctor's hands from River's temples and wrapping them both in her arms. It wasn't time yet. Besides, whatever the purpose of this was, River considered the horror worth it. She had to respect the girl's decision.

Rose sat back on her heels, closing her eyes against their pain. There had to be _something_ she could do to help them. Years of Torchwood training came back to her, and she looked around the shuttle. There wasn't anything there to help with trauma victims, but if she hurried, she should be able to get something from the infirmary. _Blankets, sedatives, waste bins…_ remembering a long-ago Christmas, she smiled faintly. _Tea._

She looked back up at them, biting her lip. The Doctor had wanted her there, though—how was she supposed to help them if she was off gathering supplies? After a moment, she rubbed a palm over her face in exasperation. No matter how many years it had been, she still wasn't quite used to the Bad Wolf. She took in a deep breath and concentrated, and in the pause between River and the Doctor's joint screams, she was back with supplies.

Forcing herself to ignore the exhaustion that always came after manipulating time, Rose sat back on the pilot's seat. Now, all she could do was wait.

What seemed like hours later, the Doctor and River's screams and whimpers died down to silence. Rose blinked and sat up, looking back and forth between them. The pain and fear that had been written across their faces had faded away, leaving an eerie stillness. _Now._ Rose reached up and pulled the Doctor's hands away from River's temples, breaking the bond that had been holding them together.

River pulled herself into a ball immediately, her slender form wracked with sobs. Rose pulled the waste bins she'd brought from the infirmary closer, and just in time—River convulsed heavily and vomited into it. Rose pulled her hair back and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders, rubbing her back gently as the girl emptied her stomach. She glanced up at the Doctor and found him staring silently at nothing, his skin ashen. Rose tucked River's hair into a loose knot and settled the other blanket around the Doctor's shoulders, pressing the thermos of tea into his hands. She remembered him getting like this before, whenever one of their trips went really bad—closed off and silent, all his playful exuberance extinguished.

She crouched in front of them, rubbing River's back with one hand while stroking the Doctor's cheek with the other. God, she hated feeling like this—unable to help, just forced to watch as the people around her suffered. The Doctor's trail hadn't been an easy one to follow. She would never doubt that he did his best to make things better as he traveled, but sometimes it just didn't work out that way. More times than she wanted to count, she'd had to make a fast exit once the people around her found out just who she was searching for. Remembering the anger of Queen Victoria and the grief of Lady Isobel, Rose swallowed heavily. How much damage had they done, dancing across time and space together?

Rose jumped a little as a cool hand reached up to hold hers. The Doctor was watching her now, holding her hand lightly against his face. She gave him a slight smile. "Hello."

His eyes crinkled, one corner of his mouth tugging upwards. "Hello." He took a sip of tea and sighed, tucking her hand more fully into his and resting them on his thigh. "Sometimes I think I've seen every vile thing the universe could hold, but somehow, it just keeps surprising me." Rose nodded, smoothing River's hair back as the girl leaned over the waste bin, wheezing painfully. She'd had that thought often enough herself. How much worse did it have to be for someone who'd lived more than a millennia? His hand tightened on hers, and she looked up again to see him watching her more closely, his eyes tracing every curve and shadow of her face. "But then you come along, smashing every expectation I might have, and somehow I can't wait to see what the future holds."

Rose yawned suddenly and blushed, helping River rinse her mouth out. "Long as the future holds a bed somewhere, I'll be happy to explore it."

"I think rest would be a good idea for all of us. River?" The girl looked up, still shaking, and the Doctor reached out and tucked her blanket more tightly around her. "If you want, I could help you sleep. There'll be no nightmares, I promise." She nodded, and he reached forward and rested his fingertips at her temples. Her eyes slid shut, and the shaking stopped. Rose sighed and stood up, collecting all the supplies she'd brought with her—somehow, she didn't think Mal would be happy to know they'd been in there. The Doctor scooped River up in his arms to carry her to bed, and Rose paused as she slid the door to the shuttle closed behind them.

He looked so comfortable carrying River, tucking her closer to his chest to keep the blanket wrapped around her.

When she'd first traveled with the Doctor, she'd never even thought about being a parent. It seemed like something that would never touch her life—sure, Mels and Sarah from school had kids already, but that wasn't something she ever wanted. Then the Doctor had dropped his bombshell about being a dad once, and spending time with her baby brother became one of the few things that kept her sane, the first few years in Pete's world. Rose left the supplies back in the infirmary after rinsing out the waste bin and smiled as she watched the Doctor tucking River carefully into her bed. _Maybe someday. After all, stranger things have happened._ Remembering the planet of giant, carnivorous frogs the Doctor had accidentally taken her to, Rose bit back a laugh as she followed him into their dorm, sliding the door shut behind her. _MUCH stranger things_.

He yawned and began undressing casually, and soon they were wrapped up in bed together, the blankets wrapped around them like a cocoon. Resting her head against his chest and listening to the steady double-time of his heartbeats, Rose fell asleep almost immediately.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The days passed quickly, en route to Ariel. The Doctor spent long hours discussing strategy with Mal and Zoe—and, surprisingly, Shepherd Book—as Rose went over Torchwood's basic psychic training with the others. As the crew got better at shielding their thoughts, the Doctor helped River build mental walls to protect herself from her memories.

Rose woke slowly from a rare sleep, wrapped in the Doctor's arms. As much as he might go on about being fully recovered, he was still sleeping far more than normal, and she'd found he seemed to sleep better with her there. She didn't really mind—she could read in bed as well as anywhere else, and it still wasn't easy to let him out of her sight. The soft noise that had woken her sounded again, and she turned her head to find River sitting on her desk, watching them curiously. "River? What is it, sweetheart?"

"I slept." Rose raised an eyebrow curiously and River leaned forward, speaking as if to a particularly dense child. "I slept without the screams."

A sleepy voice interrupted them, and Rose looked up to see the Doctor watching River. "How long had it been?"

"Since home." River got off the desk and twirled a little, a slow smile breaking over her face. "I didn't even use Simon's needle."

She spun again and left the room, and Rose smiled and tucked her face back into the Doctor's chest. "Looks like you've got a fan."

He made a discontented noise in his throat, tucking his chin against her hair. "Only the one?"

She grinned against his skin. "I know you too well for that." She yelped and laughed when he pinched her side.

They dressed and left, shutting the door quietly behind them—most of the crew wasn't up yet, and Shepherd Book was a bit of a light sleeper. The lights were on in the galley, and as Rose entered it she surprised Simon, who was sitting at the table, alone.

"Oh, sorry to disturb you—"

He flushed and waved his hand at her. "No, don't apologize. I'll be leaving, don't worry."

The Doctor was watching him carefully. "There's no need to leave."

The young medic's jaw tightened, and he got up to go. Rose frowned as she set the kettle on. "Simon? You all right?"

"Fine. Perfectly all right. Why wouldn't I be?"

The Doctor sat next to him and leaned forward, eyes intent on Simon's face. "Why don't you tell us?"

Simon stiffened before slumping back into his chair again, all the anger washed out of him. "Do you have any idea how long I've been trying to help her?" He looked between them and swallowed. "It's been _years_. Nothing I did ever seemed to be enough, no matter how hard I tried—and then you two come along, and in the space of a month, River's stopped having nightmares. She slept the whole night through last night." He dropped his head into his hands, his voice muffled. "I'm a doctor. I'm supposed to be able to heal people, but I couldn't even help my own sister."

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Simon, you did help her. If you hadn't freed her from the Academy, she'd still be in there, and none of this would be happening. When you got River out of there, Simon, you not only freed your sister, you freed this entire star system."

Rose set a cup of tea in front of each of them and sat down with her own. "Of course, that's assuming this works."

The Doctor sipped his tea and raised a teasing eyebrow at her. "Rose Tyler, when have my plans _not_ worked?"

She pretended to consider, tapping a finger against her lower lip thoughtfully. "D'you want it alphabetically or numerically?" Simon had paled noticeably, and Rose winced. "'M kidding, Simon. The Doctor always manages, somehow."

"And the times I don't, Rose does." He smiled at Simon. "Really, you've got nothing to worry about."

Mal walked in, his face grim. "Don't be so sure, Doctor. Thanks to the _wangbadan_ Alliance and their alert, gettin' to Ariel won't be half as easy as it was s'posed to be. We're runnin' low on fuel, an' with that damned alert goin' through every part of the Cortex, it ain't likely that we'll be able to find a reputable place to fill up." He sighed and rubbed a hand across his face. "Now I've got an old pal along the way who might be able to help us out, but I'd rather not cause her too much trouble. It'll be a day or two 'till we reach Persephone, and it shouldn't be too hard to fly the shuttle into town to negotiate for some fuel." His jaw tightened. "'Course, we'll have to be mighty careful where we show our faces—I know a few too many people on Persephone, and that bounty'll be mighty interestin' to more than one of 'em."

He glanced up at the three of them and cleared his throat. "Now, you might not like this, but I've got to ask y'all to stay on board—and that means your sister, too, Simon. It's too much of a risk for you out there."

The Doctor sat up and frowned, one of his eyebrows raised high. "If I'm not mistaken, you're not exactly safe out there, yourself. After all, that alert applies to all of us."

"Just talkin' to Laura's dangerous enough, Doctor. I ain't about to fill her shop up with a bunch of criminals." Mal grinned crookedly. "Just one or two. Zoe an' I'll head out once we get close." He poured himself a cup of tea and stared down into it before looking up again. "You may be used to stickin' your nose into trouble, Doctor, but I've got to ask you to lay low."

The Doctor's mouth pursed shut. Rose bit her lip and laid her hand on his arm. "It's not forever, Doctor. Just until we get the TARDIS back. Please?"

After a moment, he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, all right. Blimey, this'll be new." He glanced at Rose, and his mouth quirked up. "This is your fault, you know."

She blinked at him, caught in the middle of a swallow. "What is?"

"Me, being cautious. My earlier incarnations would be _so_ ashamed of me."

Rose snickered. "Yeah, well, sometimes I have to wonder how you made it to a thousand."

Simon choked on his tea, and Mal's jaw dropped. "_What?_"

The Doctor winced a little and tugged on his earlobe. "Wellllll… let's just say I've been around for a while."

Kaylee wandered into the room, her hair in two loose braids. She yawned and pulled out a block of protein, shaving off a piece for herself before slumping at the table. She blinked blearily around at the rest of them before smiling at Simon. "Mornin'."

He smiled back at her, flushing slightly. "Good morning, Kaylee. Sleep well?"

"Well's I can, when _Serenity_'s in trouble. We gonna get some help for her, Cap'n?"

"That we will, _mei mei_." Mal smiled briefly at Kaylee before shaking his head at the Doctor and leaving, and she cocked her head curiously.

"What's with the Captain?"

The Doctor shrugged and sipped his tea. "Just not a morning person, apparently." He smiled at her. "You said _Serenity_'s in trouble? What's wrong?"

"Well, we're runnin' low on fuel, of course, but it's more than that—she's been feelin' off for a while, now. Like she's got indigestion, or somethin'."

"I could take a look, if you want. I'm a bit of a dab hand with engines, if I do say so myself."

Kaylee bit her lip, considering, and Rose smiled at her. "He really is, Kaylee. I've seen him fix a stalled engine with nothin' more than a paper clip and a screwdriver."

"Well, I s'pose I can show her to you. It's nothin' real big, just a bit of a grinding every time the atmospheric thermometer engages—" they left the room, the Doctor listening intently, and Simon sighed and rubbed a hand across his face.

"Of course he is."

Rose snorted, and he looked up with a start. She grinned. "Yup, still here. About them—you've got nothin' to worry about, Simon. For one thing?" She raised her left hand and wiggled her ring finger at him, the stones a deep orange. "An' for another—as if Kaylee's got eyes for anyone but you."

He shifted uncomfortably. "Well, there was this one guy…"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Whoever he was, I guarantee that it was just 'cause she was tired of waitin' on you."

He crossed his arms. "She doesn't have to wait for me to make a move."

"Yeah, she does." He raised an eyebrow skeptically, and Rose leaned forward. "Simon, she won't ever make the first move. No matter how head over heels for you she is, she'll never push—she's Kaylee, after all. She's tryin' to give you space."

He frowned slightly. "Why?"

"Aren't you supposed to be brilliant, or somethin'?" She sighed and took another sip of tea. "You've been takin' care of River, of course. Anyone with eyes can see how much your sister means to you, an' she doesn't want to get in the way of that. After all, she cares about River, too. Just think about this, Simon—" She got up and set her mug in the sink, turning to watch him. "You're more than River's brother."

Simon stiffened. "I've got to take care of River. We're all each other has left."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "You really think that? From what I've seen, this isn't just a crew, here on _Serenity_. This is a family. I know the Captain would rather get shot than let any of you be hurt." She paused, watching him carefully. "Not to mention, you said it yourself. River's gettin' better. D'you really think your sister wants you to keep your whole life on hold for her?" He started to speak and stopped, blinking a little.

River waltzed in, her loose tunic fluttering behind her. She grabbed a piece of protein and smacked Simon lightly on the back of the head. He jumped a little and she grinned mischievously at him, mouth half-full. "Go ask her out, dummy. I won't be mad unless you don't."

Rose giggled and left. She had a feeling she'd enjoy the memory of Simon's flabbergasted expression for a long, long time.

(_wangbadan_- sons of bitches)

(_mei mei_- little sister)


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

They glided into Persephone under the cover of darkness the following evening, sliding into place carefully behind a spaceship junk yard that was full to overflowing. Mal was arming himself in the loading bay, checking carefully that each of his guns was loaded and easy to draw. Zoe and Wash were talking quietly in the corner, their arms around each other.

Mal cleared his throat and looked at the rest of the crew, arrayed around the grimy crates. "Listen up, folks. We're takin' a mighty risk comin' here, but we ain't got no choice. _Serenity_ gets her fuel, or we never get to Ariel—an' that's not a chance I'm takin'. Now Lady Luck and I ain't really on speaking terms, so Zoe an' I've each got an emergency alert relay set up. We'll be keepin' an ear out for any trouble. If we can't get back in time, though, I want y'all to head out."

There was a cacophony of noise at that, and he rolled his eyes and bellowed, "I'M NOT SAYIN' TO LEAVE US BEHIND! Honestly, you think I'm lookin' to be a gorram martyr? I'm just sayin' y'all should move to a different location, an' we'll meet you there." He snorted. "Ain't like you'd get far without the fuel, anyway."

Wash's jaw tightened, and he and Zoe clung to each other for a moment before separating. Rose leaned back against the Doctor, who was standing against the wall. She'd never seen the blonde pilot look so serious before. She swallowed. He was sending his wife and unborn baby out into a world that had a bounty on her head. _I don't know if there's any higher power out there, but please. Let Zoe come back safely._

Mal looked around at the others and nodded briskly, and he and Zoe stepped into the shuttle. With a rumble and a groan, it separated from the _Serenity_.

After a long silence, Kaylee sat on the stairs, her lower lip trembling. "I don't like this. Somethin's wrong with her."

Simon sat next to her and awkwardly took her hand in his, flushing a little at her wide-eyed look. "She'll be fine, Kaylee. After all, what haven't she and Mal been through together?"

"_Taikong suoyou de xingqiu saijin wo de pigu!_" Wash kicked a shoulder-high crate and clutched his foot, swearing. He glared at the rest of them before stomping back to the bridge, and Shepherd Book cleared his throat and headed after him.

Simon blinked. "What'd I say?"

Kaylee smiled sadly. "Don't you mind. I didn't mean Zoe, though. Somethin's off with the _Serenity_." She looked up at the Doctor. "You remember that noise I showed you yesterday? The one that was triggered by the atmospheric thermometer?"

He blinked. "Yes, of course. Why?"

"Well, it was twice as loud comin' into Persephone."

Jayne had been pacing back and forth since Mal and Zoe left, but he froze as Kaylee spoke. The mercenary's eyes went wide. "_Liu koushi de biaozi he houzi de ben erzi._" He stomped over to the intercom and jabbed the button. "WASH! We're in trouble! Get us out of here!"

The pilot's voice came back, rough and angry. "_What the diyù are you on about, Jayne? They only just left!_"

"Just trust me on this, all right? We gotta move!"

There was a thud and a low grinding, and the loading bay door slowly began to open. Jayne paled and gestured the rest of the crew backwards. "_Qingwa cao de liumang_. We've got to get out of here, people."

Wash's voice thundered through the bay. "_Jayne! I can't get the Serenity up and moving! What's going on?_"

The door slid the rest of the way open to reveal a small man with a grimy bowler hat backed by a full crew of heavily armed gunmen. He grinned. "You might want to tell your pilot to calm down, mate. We're going to have ourselves a little discussion here, and he'll want to join us."

Jayne swallowed heavily. "I ain't about to let you do this, Badger."

"_Let_ me? Far's I can see, you ain't in much of a position to _let_ me do anything. Besides, you already served your purpose." He pulled out a small pistol and gestured at Kaylee. "Now you do what I tell you, or the girly gets shot." He noticed Rose and grinned slightly. "Or maybe it'll be the other one. Tell you what, mates, Mal Reynolds may be a sanctimonious prick, but he sure knows where to find 'em."

Kaylee paled and Simon put an arm around her shoulders, pulling them together in front of River. The Doctor gripped Rose's hand in an iron grasp, his jaw tightening.

Badger chuckled. "Now isn't that cute. Looks like we got ourselves some gentlemen." He glanced back at his crew, and his grin turned feral. "Get the others down here, any way you have to."

Minutes later the gunmen returned, shoving Shepherd Book and Wash in front of them. Badger rubbed his hands together, a slight smirk on his face. "I've been waitin' for this day for a long time. I've always known Malcolm Reynolds was too big for 'is britches, so imagine my surprise when a little notice came up on the Cortex, an' it turned out he'd been sitting on some of the biggest bounties in the system. Now. Where's the girl?" Simon and Kaylee pressed themselves closer together, but River stepped out from behind them. "Ah. There you are, sweetheart. Last time we met, you pulled a rather nasty trick on me. I don't much like bein' made a fool of, little girl."

River snorted. "Modified inflections and cadences to foster familiarity and reduce suspicion." She twisted her lips. "Wasn't hard to make a fool of you. Already are one."

Badger's jaw tightened. "It's a good thing they want you alive." He turned to the others. "Leave the brother and the skinny bloke in the suit, but the rest of 'em are open game." He grinned. "Take 'em out."

River and Rose's eyes met, and Rose's eyes flared gold as River darted forward. Her dark hair flew in the sudden stillness as she pirouetted around the crowd of gunman, her arms lashing out and legs kicking with an eerie, fluid precision. In the space of a minute, River had taken out all of Badger's men, and Rose re-started the flow of time. The men tumbled and fell like dominoes, leaving Badger standing alone.

River paused behind Badger, speaking so closely that her breath ruffled the hair on the back of his neck. Rose blinked. The girl's voice had changed—she was speaking with a rough Cockney accent. "Sad little king just lost 'is crown." With one harsh blow to the back of his neck, River dropped Badger and was left standing on a pile of unconscious bodies.

The loading bay echoed with silence, interrupted only by River's soft panting. The Doctor gathered Rose in his arms as she slumped backwards. "Rose? What's wrong?"

"Just takes a bit out of me." She smiled up at him and brushed her hand against his cheek. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Jayne stumbled back as River turned to him, clenching her fists. "I'd forgotten, girl! Ain't like I meant to!"

Book spoke, his gaze even. "What's going on, Jayne?"

Kaylee broke out of Simon's hold and stepped forward. "It was 'cause of _you_? Serenity's been sick 'cause of you? You _ben tiansheng de yi dui rou_!" His head whipped around as she slapped him viciously.

Simon cleared his throat. "Not that I have anything against slapping Jayne, but what's going on?"

She glared at Jayne, almost quivering with rage. "How long ago was it, Jayne? When did Badger give it to you?"

Simon's eyebrows drew together. "Give _what?_"

Wash's fists clenched tight, his voice low. "A pirate pulse." He ran a hand roughly through his hair. "How the hell did that piece of _goushi_ get his grimy little hands on one of those?"

Jayne backed up against a crate, his hands up as he pleaded. "I don't know! He was goin' to shoot me if I didn't put it on. What else was I s'posed to do?"

Kaylee's jaw tightened. "You coud've _told_ me about it, so's I could get it off!"

"Yeah, that would've worked." Jayne raised his hands again as River stepped closer. "Listen, if I'd told you about it, we'd've been blown into the black the instant you touched it. I've seen what those things can do, Kaylee. I didn't want that to happen to the _Serenity_."

"So instead you sold us out to Badger, leavin' us defenseless whenever he decided he wanted to take control."

"We ain't defenseless! Y'all seen what that creepy moon-brained girl just did! Am I the only one who remembers that?"

Kaylee flushed angrily and stepped closer to River. "_She_ ain't the one who betrayed us."

Rose cleared her throat, years of Torchwood training coming to the fore. "We don't have time for this." She pushed herself upright, fighting the all-too-familiar exhaustion. "Jayne can deal with the Captain when he gets back, but we've got to clear out the _Serenity_—they aren't goin' to be unconscious forever."

The Doctor nodded. "The sooner we get this lot out of here, the better." He turned to look at Wash and Book. "Now, I noticed as we were flying in that we're parked by a scrap heap."

Wash nodded, crossing his arms. "Corvallin Junk. It's where Kaylee usually goes shopping for parts."

The Doctor swung around to face Kaylee. "Do they have any shuttles in there?"

She nodded, still glaring at Jayne. "Sure, plenty of 'em. Won't do us much good, though. They've got some of the tightest security in the Docks—old Corvallin's a bit nutty."

The Doctor grinned and slipped a hand into his pocket, pulling out a very familiar silver instrument. "Good thing you've got me, then."

By the time Zoe and Mal's shuttle landed with a thump, Badger and his crew had been introduced to a particularly cramped escape pod that Kaylee found just inside Corvallin's fence—one that just happened to have a faulty interior latch.

Mal stormed out of the shuttle, dragging a set of fuel cells behind him. "WASH! What's goin' on? The alerts went off, but y'all are still here!"

Jayne was sitting on a crate, watched carefully by both Wash and Shepherd Book. He raised his head from his hands as the Captain spoke. "I didn't mean to this time, Mal, I really didn't."

Mal stiffened. "What are you talkin' about?"

Jayne swallowed and continued, his normally strident voice pleading. "I had no choice, Mal. They were gonna kill me if I didn't."

Mal stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "I won't ask you again, Jayne. What are you talkin' about?"

Kaylee walked in, rubbing a greasy hand through her hair. "Badger got 'im to stick a pirate pulse in here. I've been tryin' to get it out, but the whole thing's set to blow if I so much as tug on it."

The Doctor had been waiting in the corner, Rose curled up against his chest. He cleared his throat and spoke thoughtfully, "You know, I might be able to modify the pulse. It's a basic electro-magnetic reverse-control amplifier, isn't it?"

Kaylee sat next to him with a thump, resting her head against her fist. "Ain't nothin' basic about a pirate pulse, Doctor. I've still got no clue where Badger got his _gou__shi_ hands on it, but it's a top of the line piece of equipment—stuff I can only dream of. You get a pirate pulse attached to your ship, it's almost impossible to get out."

"Maybe we don't have to get it out." She stared at him, confused, and he grinned. "I might be able to reverse the range of the pulse and change the directive. Give me enough time, and I can turn the _Serenity_ into a moving dead zone. Nothing will be able to register her—no cameras, no radars."

Mal nodded thoughtfully before blinking and looking down at his hands, still holding the fuel cells. "Sounds like a mighty fine idea, Doctor. You get to work on that, an' Kaylee an' I'll start installing these fuel cells."

Jayne spoke up, staring at his clasped hands. "An' what about me?"

The Captain paused, his jaw tightening. "I'll deal with you later."

(_Taikong suoyou de xingqiu saijin wo de pigu- _all the planets of space flushed into my butt)

(_Liu koushi de biaozi he houzi de ben erzi- _stupid son of a drooling whore and a monkey)

(_diyù- _hell)

(_Qingwa cao de liumang- _frog-humping son of a bitch)

(_ben tiansheng de yi dui rou- _stupid inbred stack of meat)

(_goushi- _dog crap)


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Rose sat up, wrapped in the Doctor's coat. She wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep—recovery from the Bad Wolf wasn't always predictable—but the loading bay had cleared out, and the lights were dimmed. Two figures were silhouetted against the spare light, the larger sitting with his head in his hands.

"It weren't like I wanted to, Mal. The little _chùsheng xai-jiao de xiang hu_ had a gun to my neck. What else was I s'posed to do?"

"I can't help but feel a mite bit suspicious, Jayne. This ain't the first time you've tried to sell us out."

Jayne snorted. "You think I'd sell myself along with y'all?"

There was a long pause, and Mal nodded begrudgingly. "There is that, I s'pose."

"I ain't gonna pretend like I never did somethin' like this before, Mal. But this is different. This ain't just the pansy-ass doctor and his freak of a sister." Jayne swallowed. "You think I'd really sell out Kaylee? Book? Hell, even Zoe an' her little nugget? I don't care if you believe me or not, but there ain't no way I'm hurtin' them."

Mal just stood there, his voice even. "How long ago did you install it, Jayne?"

He sighed and rubbed his hand roughly through his hair. "Last time we were in Persephone, a couple weeks ago. I didn't have no choice, Mal, I really didn't."

"We ain't got many chances for lettin' you off, so I'm goin' to choose to believe you, Jayne." Mal's voice hardened. "_Don't_ make me regret it."

Jayne swallowed. "Yessir."

There was a heavy rumble through the whole ship, and the lights flickered before brightening. The Doctor and Kaylee hurried in, both smeared with grease but grinning madly. Kaylee hurried over to Mal. "We did it, Cap'n! Serenity's up an' runnin', and the Doctor's got the pulse rigged to knock out anythin' that might pick us up. We can get outta here, no problems." She glared at Jayne. "No thanks to you."

Mal rested a hand on her shoulder, and she glanced at him uncertainly. He cleared his throat. "Kaylee, he was bein' held at gunpoint. It weren't like he had much of a choice."

She deflated a little, though her shoulders were still tense. Finally, she tossed her hair. "Well, fine. But you get to help me clean up the engine room."

Jayne bit back a groan and ran his hand through his hair again. "All right, I guess." He glanced at her and snorted. "Well? Lead on."

They left the room, and the Doctor collected his coat from Rose. "You feeling better?"

"Plenty—though a cargo bay isn't really the most comfy of places for a nap."

He winced. "Well, I thought it'd be best if I got started right away. After all, the sooner we get to Ariel, the better."

Rose nodded emphatically, rubbing her arms against the chill air. "I can't wait to see the TARDIS again. I've missed her so."

"Tell me about it." Rose glanced up at him, noting the carefully restrained agitation in his movements. He'd been away from the TARDIS for months—it had to be driving him mad.

She smiled and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Hey. You'll see her soon, yeah?"

He grinned down at her, dark brown eyes bright with excitement. "Oh, very soon. I showed Kaylee a few tweaks she could make to _Serenity_'s engine—we should be there in less than a day." He engulfed her in a hug suddenly, spinning her giddily as she laughed into his shoulder. "We're going _home_, Rose."

* * *

><p>The atmosphere on <em>Serenity<em> was tense as Wash piloted them though Ariel City, flying high to avoid bothering any of the scans that constantly monitored traffic.

The Doctor leaned forward over Wash's shoulder, pulling out his glasses and peering out the window. "Ha! There it is. That's where I parked her."

Mal followed his finger and swore. "_Gen houzi bi diushi!_ You parked outside the Alliance Parliamentary building?"

The Doctor blinked and raised an eyebrow. "Well, where else was I supposed to find the information I was looking for?"

The Captain rubbed a hand across his eyes. "_Nimen, duo shi shagu._"

The Doctor's other eyebrow raised as well. "I_ can_ speak Mandarin, you know."

Mal glared at the Doctor. "Well, good! What kind of a gorram idiot goes around poking his nose into the Alliance's secrets _right outside_ their door?"

He shrugged cheerfully. "This kind of idiot, I suppose."

Rose had been staring out the front window, watching the bustling streets and cramped buildings that passed beneath them. "As much fun as it is to listen to you squabble, boys, what're we going to do about gettin' the TARDIS? It doesn't look like there's much open parking down there."

Wash glanced over his shoulder. "No, she's right. All the docks are for registered ships only, and unless you think Captain Harbatkin's gonna work again, we've got to figure something out."

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Actually, we could probably fetch the TARDIS with the cart."

There was a long moment of silence.

Wash spoke up. "We could fetch your ship with the cart." The Doctor nodded, and he frowned. "The cart that can't even fit the whole crew."

"She really doesn't take up much space."

The pilot rolled his eyes. "Shyeah, no kidding."

Mal frowned. "So, what, is your ship like a shuttle or something?"

The Doctor scowled. "Oi! She's not just a shuttle! She's just a bit different than the other ships you've seen."

"A _bit_?"

The Doctor sighed and pushed his glasses into his hair, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Look, can we just go fetch her? I'll feel a lot better with her on board."

"Fine. Wash, prepare to move in—we'll need you to keep circling 'till I call you back."

They gathered in the loading bay a few minutes later, and Mal's jaw dropped when Rose walked in in the distinctive grey-and-black uniform of an Alliance Commander. "Where in the flowery names of God and Buddha did you get that?"

She grinned and slid her pistol into its holster, attempting to ignore the Doctor's disapproving stare. "I picked it up when I first arrived here. After all, you never know when you might need to impersonate a government official, do ya?"

Mal blinked. "Well, do you have any others?"

"Sorry, just the one. I figured this way, even if anybody _does_ recognize any of us, they might not bother us."

The _Serenity_ landed with a thump, and Wash's voice filtered through the intercom. "I've got you guys as close as I could—Parliament's only a few blocks away." Mal revved the cart's engine as Kaylee opened the bay doors, and before the ramp had fully lowered, they were on the move.

Rose sat next to the Doctor, her hair tucked into a stiff Alliance cap. The Doctor was a lot stronger than he looked, of course, and Mal and Jayne was both well-muscled—but even with their help, she wasn't sure how they were going to get the TARDIS attached to the cart. The streets flew past, the well-coiffed citizens of Ariel City stepping back with murmurs of disgust and annoyance as they plowed through.

The Doctor leaned closer to Mal. "There, in that alley." They skidded to a stop, Mal and Jayne's faces twisted in confusion. The TARDIS sat in the corner of the alley. She was a bit dirty, and some trash was piled against her sides, but she was as wonderfully blue as ever.

Mal turned to the Doctor. "_That's _your ship?"

The Doctor jumped off, stepping up and resting a hand fondly against the worn paint. "That she is—and she's the best ship in the universe." He opened the door and slipped in.

A hum of excited warmth reached for Rose as she got off the cart, and she followed him in quickly. The lights were dimmed, but as the Doctor stepped up to the console they brightened in greeting. Rose leaned against a coral strut and smiled as the familiar song of the TARDIS thrummed through her. _Hello, love. Missed us? _Wordless happiness brushed against her mind, and she smiled.

"_Laotian zhishang._" Rose and the Doctor turned at Mal's stunned voice and found he and Jayne standing inside the doorway. Mal's eyes were the widest Rose had ever seen, and Jayne was leaning heavily against the wall, staring at the arched ceilings and towering console.

The Doctor grinned. "Alright, so she's more than a bit different. Captain, Jayne, welcome to my TARDIS."

There was a shout in the alley outside, and Rose darted to the door and shut it just as a squad of Alliance soldiers rushed around the corner. "Doctor? Change of plans—looks like we'll have to head straight for the _Serenity_."

Jayne reached halfheartedly for the door. "But the cart's still out there!"

"I'll pay for a new one, then." Rose grabbed the railing as the Doctor began inputting directions, and he glanced at the others.

"You might want to grab a hold of something—the ride gets a bit bumpy, sometimes."

Mal joined Rose at the railing, his jaw tight. Jayne swore and grabbed a strut a moment later, yelping as the TARDIS jostled into flight. The Doctor flew around the controls, his lanky form somehow managing to stay upright through the dips and swerves of TARDIS travel. With one last shudder, the TARDIS landed. He straightened with a grin, waving one arm in invitation to the others. "I believe we've landed."

Rose grinned and hurried to the door, opening it onto the stunned faces of Kaylee and Book.

The Shepherd stared at the inside, his dark eyes wide. "That's _remarkable._"

The comm unit at Mal's waist crackled to life, and Wash's voice filled the console room. "_Cap'n? You might want to get back soon as you can—we've got trouble._" Mal stepped out into the loading bay and circled the TARDIS, his eyes still wide. He absently reached down and opened the channel. "I _am_ back, Wash."

"_What?_"

"I'll be up in the bridge in a minute."

(_chùsheng xai-jiao de xiang hu- _animal f**king bastard)

(_g__en houzi bi diushi-_ engage in a feces-hurling contest with a monkey)

(_n__imen, duo shi shagu- _idiots, all of you)

(_l__aotian zhishang- _heaven above)


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Wash sat in the pilot's chair, nervously chewing his thumbnail. Mal strode in, still grasping his comm unit. "What's the trouble? And why've you stopped?"

The pilot yelped and straightened quickly, his blue eyes wide. "How did you do that?"

"Wash, I ain't got no idea. Now, what's the gorram trouble?" Wash gestured out the window, and Mal swore. "Now _that_ ain't somethin' I like the look of."

A squadron of sleek Alliance fighters was arrayed around the _Serenity_, ringing her in from every side.

The screen in front of Wash flickered to life. "This is Commander Qiang Jun, speaking with the Authority of the High Parliament of the Allied Planets. Captain Malcolm Reynolds of the _Serenity_, you are hereby ordered to surrender your transport ship and enter Alliance custody. Any attempts to flee or resist arrest will be met with force."

"_He chusheng zajiao de zanghuo!_ Wash, clear the channel."

The screen faded to black, and Wash cleared his throat nervously. "Well, at least we're popular." His weak grin faded quickly. "I've never seen this many Alliance ships in one place before."

"I have. Nothin' good comes of it." The Captain stood quietly for a long moment, anger and frustrations passing over his face in waves. "_N__iao shi de dugui. _Wash, get on the intercom and call everybody down to the loading bay. Soon as that's done, you put her in park and come down yourself."

He strode back down to the bay himself, and found Simon trying to coax River into leaving the TARDIS. The psychic was curled up in the jump seat, her arms tucked around her head. "River? This isn't your ship, _mei mei_."

"Is. She'll protect me. _Serenity_'s fallen, and she can't get up."

Simon frowned. "What?"

"Little Albatross is right, Doc." Mal turned to the rest of the crew as Wash came hurrying in. "We're in a mighty tight place right now, people. The Alliance has us outgunned and out-manned." He glanced at Zoe. "Probably out-womaned, too. They think they got us, that we ain't got no way out."

The Doctor spoke up. "That's where the TARDIS comes in. All aboard, I suppose."

A blast shook the _Serenity_, and Kaylee cried out. Simon wrapped an arm around her. "Kaylee, there's nothing you can do for her. We've got to go."

The crew filed on board the TARDIS, and the Doctor stepped closer to Mal. "If there's any way to get her back, Captain, we'll find it."

Mal's jaw tightened. "I better. I've had more than enough of the Alliance takin' away my home for one lifetime."

They gathered inside the console room, and Rose shut the door behind them. "Hold on, everybody."

The Doctor glanced at Wash. "Miss Serra's on Sihnon?"

"At the Companion's guild, yeah."

"Well, then." He filled in the coordinates hurriedly and paused, considering, before slamming the dematerialization lever. "Sihnon it is."

Kaylee had joined the Doctor at the console, watching him avidly as he flew around the controls. Zoe had joined River on the jump seat, looking a little green, and Wash was hovering by her side, bracing Zoe through the shakes and jumps of the TARDIS' flight. Shepherd Book was holding onto the railing, staring around the room. Simon and Jayne were both clinging to the same strut, and they had matching expressions of fear and confusion on their faces—it was probably the first time Rose had seen them completely in agreement.

Mal, in the meantime, had braced himself against the wall, his face expressionless. Rose bit her lip and met the Doctor's eyes. He shook his head a little, and she sighed. Until the captain got his ship back, there wasn't anything much that would comfort him.

The TARDIS landed with a groan and the Doctor stepped closer to Rose, holding out his hand. "So. Sihnon it is. Care to explore?"

She grinned up at him, lacing her fingers through his. "Of course I do."

The doors creaked open, and they found themselves face-to-face with the beautiful brunette from a few week ago. The Doctor blinked, then grinned. "Oh, good show, old girl! Inara Serra, I presume?"

She tightened her grip on a long and deceptively elegant staff, the elegantly dressed young women behind her also holding weapons. "You would indeed presume. May I know who it is that has interrupted my morning classes?"

The Doctor reached up and scratched the back of his neck, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet. "Have I? Ooh, that's not good—sorry about that. Sometimes the old girl has a mind of her own, you know."

"_Inara!_" Kaylee burst out of the TARDIS and flew into Inara's arms, barely avoiding being knocked unconscious. "I've missed you _so_ much! Is this your class? They're mighty pretty—well, you'd have to be, to be a Companion, wouldn't you?"

"Not necessarily, _mei mei_." Inara released Kaylee, her dark brows furrowed. "Not that I'm not pleased to see you, but what are you doing here? _How_ did you get here?"

"We came with the Doctor." Inara gulped and straightened, turning stiffly to face Mal. He was leaning against the outside of the TARDIS, hands on his belt. "So, this is your new place. It's nice. Real… sophisticated."

Inara swore under her breath and turned to her pupils, folding her hands gracefully in front of her. "It seems something has come up. I'm sorry to do this to you, but I'm going to have to finish this lesson at a later time." They didn't move, and she frowned. "You are dismissed." As the Companions-in-training filed out of the room, she turned back to face the captain.

"Mal." She lifted her chin. "Was this your idea, then? Come crashing into my classes for what, old time's sake?"

"We came 'cause we got reason to think you're in danger. Someone's after you, 'Nara, an' I'm not just going to sit by while you get hunted down."

She snorted, a surprisingly rough sound from such an elegant woman. "Just like old times, then. I don't need you to protect me, Mal. I can handle myself. Besides, the Companion's Guild doesn't look kindly on threats against its members—and we're far more capable than most people assume."

"This ain't just some simple bully-boy, Inara. This is bigger than anythin' you or I'd ever seen before."

Inara rolled her eyes and moved her staff to the corner, straightening it carefully. "Well, you certainly haven't lost your flair for the melodramatic."

Wash leaned against the side of the TARDIS and smirked. "Mal and Inara fighting? This is _definitely_ like old times."

Inara looked over at him and flushed as she realized how many of the _Serenity_ crew were now standing in her room. "Wait… if you're all here, where's _Serenity_?" Mal's jaw tightened, and she paled. "Oh, no. Don't tell me she's gone."

"She's still out there, Inara. It's just the gorram Alliance has their _goushi_ hands on her."

Inara stilled. "_Ai ya_. Mal, you _didn't._"

His thrust out his jaw belligerently. "Didn't what?"

"You did! You antagonized the Alliance!" She threw up her hands in frustration. "For God's sake, Mal, I know you don't like them, but would it kill you to just _think_ before you do things for once?"

"I did plenty of thinkin' this time, 'Nara. There's things we heard that they didn't want nobody to hear, an' they ain't to happy with us on account of that."

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Lovely as this conversation is, can we hurry it up a little? Miss Serra's got a call to make, and some friends of yours are due to make an appearance."

Mal blinked. "A call?"

The Doctor grinned at him. "Oh, you know the one. You already received it." He spun to face Inara again, rubbing his hands together. "Right, so you might want to call the Serenity right about… now-ish."

She frowned at him, looking him up and down. "And why would I want to do that?"

He raised his eyebrows thoughtfully. "Would you believe me if I said 'to preserve the stability of the space/time continuum'?" When he got no more response than a raised eyebrow, he shrugged. "Well, it was worth a shot."

Rose spoke up, watching her thoughtfully. "For proof." Inara turned to her, and she continued. "To show yourself that this _is_ bigger than you thought. After all, if we're wrong, what can it hurt? If we're right, though…" she trailed off and shrugged.

"Yes. Exactly." The Doctor grinned down at Rose and took her hand again before looking at the others. "Right, so the rest of you, back on the TARDIS." He bowed quickly to Inara, and followed them in. "Miss Serra. We'll be waiting." After a moment, he poked his head back out. "Oh, and try not to mention us to us."

A few minutes later Inara entered, her eyes wide. "How did you… how did that…?" She stared around at them and shook her head helplessly. "There are two men outside, and they didn't seem friendly."

The Doctor grinned and leaned back against the console. "Ah yes, Niska's old pals. Don't worry, we'll soon leave them behind."

River curled up into the jump seat, hiding her head against her knees. "We walk amongst the dead, leaving footprints in the dust of their grief. The air is full of their wasted breath."

Wash raised his hand. "Wherever she's talking about, can we _not_ go there?"

The Doctor glanced up as he set the coordinates, his eyes dark. "Not unless you want to go to the Shadow Proclamation without all the evidence you can find. River's seen what happened on Miranda, but second-hand telepathic transference isn't worth much in the intergalactic court of law. We need the solid evidence, and the last full record of Blue Sun's experiments there is on the planet itself. "

"Blue Sun?" Inara turned to the others as they grabbed the railing, her eyebrows drawn together. "What's going on?"

Mal cleared his throat and glanced at the Doctor and Rose as they moved around the console. "Do y'all have anywhere to sit down? This'll take a while."

"Or it could go very quickly." The TARDIS landed with a thump, and the Doctor gestured to the doors. "We're here."

(_he chusheng zajiao de zanghuo_- filthy fornicators of livestock)

(_n__iao shi de dugui_- piss-soaked pikers)

(_mei mei_- little sister)

(_goushi_- dog crap)

(_ai ya_- damn)


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The doors opened onto a brilliant blankness. No cars moved down the gleaming streets; no pedestrians walked past the oversized billboards. The silence of the place was deep enough to swallow the soft footfalls of the crew as they stepped warily out of the TARDIS.

Inara moved closer to Mal, her voice low and nervous. "What _is_ this place?"

He glanced over at her, his expression unreadable. "This? This is Miranda." He waved an arm at the damning stillness. "This is what happens when the Alliance decides they can do whatever they want."

She wrapped her arms around her ribs, folding herself up tightly. "What happened here?"

The Doctor cleared his throat. "There was an experiment, a specific compound—G-23 Paxilon Hydrochlorate—that was filtered through the air, the food… it was everywhere. There was no escaping it." He raised a hand and touched the dim glass of the building next to him, and the lights flared to brightness. Kaylee shrieked and backed into Simon's arms as River disappeared back into the TARDIS, and Zoe and Wash paled. "So they didn't escape." Rotting corpses filled the windows in a cruel parody of everyday life—some bodies were slumped over computer terminals and propped against copy machines; others littered the floor. He closed his eyes briefly before moving away. "But I'm not here about them."

"So who are you here for?" Sometime in the past few minutes, Inara and Mal's hands had caught and tangled. Neither of them seemed to notice, but nor were they letting go.

The Doctor glanced over at her as he pulled out the sonic screwdriver and checked its readings. "I'm here for the others—the victims of the Pax that are still living." He scowled and started moving, following the steady beeps of the screwdriver. "If you can call it that."

Inara looked at Mal, confused, and the captain grimaced. "He means the Reavers."

She paled. "_Lao tyen yeh_."

Rose stepped up to the Doctor, slipping her hand in his. He glanced down at her and smiled crookedly, just a faint tug upwards of his lips. She cleared her throat. "Does it ever get easier?"

"Does what?"

"Seein' stuff like this." They walked past a parked car, the driver slumped against the steering wheel. There was a tiny, still figure strapped into a booster seat in the back.

The Doctor sighed. "I wish I could say it doesn't, but it does. After a while, it becomes harder to care. It's the only way to keep going, sometimes." He tightened his hand around hers. "I wanted to show you the universe, Rose. I just never wanted you to see all of it."

She rested her forehead against his shoulder, staring at the brightly-lit mausoleum around them. "Somebody's got to be the witness."

"Here we go." He held up a hand, stopping the crew's rag-tag procession. "The signal's coming from here." The room was small and dim, crowded once all the crew fit inside. An image flickered to life—a woman, trim and brown-haired, in a practical jumpsuit and a ponytail.

"_These are just a few of the images we've recorded,"_ the woman said. As she spoke, holographic images scrolled in front of her. Close up shots of corpses, of faces rotted away. _"And you can see... it isn't what we thought."_

More pictures appeared and disappeared in front of her. She didn't look at them. The woman stared straight ahead, exhaustion and fear in her eyes. _"There's been no war here. And no terraforming event. The environment is stable."_ She stopped, her eyes filling with tears. "_It's the Pax. The G-23 Paxilon Hydrochlorate that we added to the air processors. It was supposed to calm the population, weed out aggression._"

"_Well, it works_." She almost smiled, but it was more a flinch than an expression of happiness. "_The people here stopped fighting. And then they stopped... everything else._" Her voice trembled as she continued. _"They stopped going to work. They stopped breeding. Talking. Eating. There's 30 million people here, and they all just let themselves die._"

A roar sounded through the small space, and she gasped and glanced off to the side. A pounding began to reverberate through the room, and she looked back at the screen, panic in her eyes. "_I have to be quick. About a tenth of a percent of the population had the opposite reaction to the Pax. Their aggressor response increased. Beyond madness. They have become..._"

She glanced off-screen again. She tried to continue, but her fear was clear in every move she made. "_Well, they've killed most of us. And not just killed. They've done things..._" She shook her head. "_I won't live to report this, but people have to know. We meant it for the best. To make people safer…_" The pounding thundered on, until a loud crash sounded through the room. The woman trembled. "_Oh GOD!_" she wailed, pulling a gun from her pocket.

There was a click, and the Doctor pulled out the holovid cartridge.

The others blinked and shook their heads, slowly coming up for air. Shepherd Book had his hand in front of his mouth. Jayne had a death grip on his gun. Kaylee cleared her throat, clutching Simon's hand in hers. "What… what happened to her?"

The Doctor looked down, tracing the long scratch marks on the floor. "She didn't make it."

Simon spoke up, his eyes following the Doctor's. "And that's what River's been carrying around in her brain?"

"Since the Academy, yes. But this—" he held up the holovid—"this is _everything_. This means those people didn't die in vain. They _will_ get justice."

Jayne cleared his throat. "So what do we do now?"

"Now? Now we go to the Shadow Proclamation. Now, Blue Sun has to face up to what it's done." He looked impatiently around at them, crowded into the room with him. "Well? Back to the TARDIS!"

The crew filed back onto the Serenity and found River waiting, her eyes wide and dark. "Did you see? Did Miranda speak to you?"

Simon wrapped her in his arms. "We saw, _mei mei_." He kissed her lightly on the crown of her head, squeezing his eyes shut. "You're very brave."

Rose stepped closer to Kaylee, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. The brunette leaned into her, sighing softly. "I just can't believe somebody'd_ do_ that to people."

Mal spoke softly, his hand still in Inara's. "People do crazy things, lookin' for power."

The Doctor started the TARDIS dematerialization sequence, moving quickly around the console. The console room was silent as the crew braced themselves for flight, all caught in their own heads. Rose watched them thoughtfully as she clung to the railing. Wash and Zoe hadn't let go of each other since they first stepped onto Miranda, and Mal and Inara looked to be following their example. Jayne's brow was furrowed in confusion, but every once in a while he'd catch Book's eye and calm down. River was curled up in Simon's arms, watching the others.

They landed with a quiet thump, and Rose detached herself from the railing. She glanced up at the Doctor, surprised. "That's prob'ly the softest landing I can remember."

He tucked the holovid into his jacket, his jaw tightening. "She's probably as eager to get this over with as I am." He rested a hand on the controls. "She first sent me into this five months ago."

Kaylee cocked her head, curious. "Sent you into it?"

He glanced at her and smiled perfunctorily. "She's telepathic."

He pushed the door open onto a shining cavern of a room, the tiered walls stretching up beyond what the eye could see. Rose stepped onto the floor and gasped—she felt the chill of polished marble, but the deep black floor was decorated with the stars of the cosmos. The Doctor took her hand, speaking to her quietly. "It's a Eunxonian projection—a bit of a welcome mat, designed to show off the Shadow Proclamation's jurisdiction." He grinned a little. "You're standing on Saturn."

A tall, gleaming creature walked towards them, its feathers cresting over a delicately featured skull. It bowed gracefully to them, its wings spread wide. "Welcome, entities, to the Shadow Proclamation."

The Doctor bounced on the balls of his feet, his hands deep in his pockets. "Hello, K'shorrna. Is Yvex in?"

The being blinked wide, amber-coloured eyes. "Forgive my insolence, but I do not recall your external appearance, that you would speak with me so familiarly."

"No, I don't suppose you would. Last time I was in this time period was in what, my sixth life? Yes, that would've been it." He grinned and waved his hand. "Hello! I'm the Doctor."

The amber eyes widened. "Doctor? I see." K'shorrna cocked its head, staring at him. "Your plumage has calmed considerably."

He winced. "Yes, I suppose it has. Forget that for the moment, though—I need to talk to Yvex about something, and it's rather important."

"You _always_ consider it rather important." The Doctor spun to find a squat purple alien behind him, watching him affably with six blue eyes.

"Well, yes, but it's generally because it is." He grinned. "Hullo, Yvex." He glanced around at the others, who were watching with wide eyes. "I'd like you all to meet Yvex Ourian Kalos, the Shadow Architect and an old friend of mine." He tugged on Rose's hand, pulling her forward. "Yvex, this is my wife, Rose Tyler."

Remembering a long-ago conversation with a living tree, Rose grinned. "It's a pleasure."

Yvex raised his white eyebrows and made an odd purring sound in greeting. "Charmed, I'm sure. To be this one's partner, you must have much courage and even more patience."

"Oi!" One of Yvex's eyes swerved away from his study of Rose to stare at the Doctor.

"You know it's true." There was a pause, and he blinked one pair of eyes after another. "Is there a reason the large one is staring at me?"

Rose glanced back and bit her lip against laughter—Jayne had been staring, bug-eyed, at Yvex, but at the small alien's remark he moved his gaze to the ceiling, blushing furiously.

The Doctor scratched the back of his neck. "Actually, there is—that's what I've come to talk to you about, incidentally. How quickly could we arrange a quorum?"

Yvex turned back to the Doctor, his multiple eyebrows furrowed. "Within minutes, most likely. I believe there are eleven delegates on the platform at the moment."

"Good. There's something that needs to be brought to the Proclamation's attention."

"Something more important than the poultry civil wars of Jeyvos 4?"

The Doctor winced. "Am I ever going to live that down?"

Yvex smirked and turned, leading them out of the entrance hall. "No, probably not."

(_lao tyen yeh_- Jesus)

(_mei mei_- little sister)


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Yvex led them to a wide, oval room where a tall set of desks ringed the seats set low in the center. He glanced at the Doctor, his head barely reaching the bottoms of the desks. "I'm assuming you'll be acting as a witness, Doctor?" At the Doctor's nod, Yvex led him down into the central seats. "Then this is where I'll stop talking to you. The other delegates should arrive momentarily."

The Doctor joined Rose and the crew of the _Serenity_ on the floor, plopping himself down into a smooth grey chair. "Well, this is nice, isn't it?"

Jayne just glared at him. Book was looking around the room, seemingly intent on memorizing every part of the courtroom. Simon and Kaylee were sitting next to each other, their eyes wide—River seemed to be the only crewmember totally at ease. She sat, legs folded and back straight, watching Yvex thoughtfully. She cocked her head to the side, her hair fluttering. "He will listen." She glanced at the Doctor. "He will listen because you heard."

The Doctor shrugged, watching the other delegates file in. A tall, heavily furred delegate stepped through the door, his eyes catching on the Doctor. "Well, yes. I suppose that's true."

Mal cleared his throat a little, watching the delegates nervously. "What was it you heard?"

"Oh, some rival delegation was angry their candidate wasn't elected as the Shadow Architect, so they were poisoning Yvex's family. Most of the medics just thought they were sick, but I'd run into Plynelle poisoning before." He grimaced. "Nasty stuff. Thankfully, the antidote arrived in time."

The eleven delegates circled the room, bowing politely to Yvex before taking their seats. The furry delegate was still watching the Doctor closely, and Rose leaned closer to the Doctor. "Is it just me, or does he look a bit… Bigfoot?"

The Doctor suppressed a grin, leaning closer to her ear. "Just a bit. Then again, most Sasquatches are visiting Sysquasians."

She raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? Sysquasians?"

"From Sysquose." He caught her look and shrugged. "Don't look at me, _I _didn't name the planet."

Yvex cleared his throat, stepping up to his seat at the highest desk. "The Shadow Architect now calls this quorum to order." He raised his chin and looked at the others. "We gather here today to discuss the findings of the Doctor, signatory member of the Shadow Proclamation and long time ally. Let the record show that I am unaware of the Doctor's findings, and will be witnessing them now for the first time." As the others bobbed their heads, Yvex nodded at the Doctor. "Doctor? You may proceed."

He bounced to his feet, nodding quickly at Yvex. "Thank you, your honor. Respected court, I come before you today to expose corporate corruption on a grand scale, the likes of which I've never seen before."

The Sysquasian delegate leaned forward, his dark brown eyes narrowed. "Would this be along the lines of your previous investigations, which were—and I have the list here—asymmetrical asteroids, the 'particularly smelly' swamplands of Lungren Prime, and rebelling poultry on Jeyvos 4?"

The Doctor flushed and tugged his ear. "First of all, it turned out that the asteroids were being manufactured by the Floueronions and being aimed at their rivals; second, that swampland was being poisoned by the Kylos Corporation; and lastly... why does everyone remember the poultry?" He scowled for a moment before moving on. "And now I have a few questions for the court myself. Why _is_ it that in the heavily patrolled Helios sector, there is an entire star system completely cut off from intergalactic contact?" The Sysquasian delegate's fists tightened as the other delegates on the court began to whisper among themselves, and the Doctor continued. "Why is it that the instant intergalactic attention was paid to the Helios sector, said intergalactic investigator—and by that I mean myself—was separated from his transport and held in a manner that showed in-depth understanding of my means of investigation and escape—information that would not be accessible to the perpetrators, but only to those with a prior relationship with myself?"

Yvex cleared his throat, half of his eyes focused on the Sysquasian delegate and half on the Doctor. "Are you making any allegations, Doctor?"

"Me? No, I'd never do that. I'm just pointing out how very odd it is that the Sysquasians—who pride themselves on their thoroughness—would have no idea that a carefully-controlled scientific experiment was being run in their sector."

A slightly transparent delegate spoke up, his voice echoing like a chime. "What sort of scientific experiment?"

The Sysquasian delegate spoke up hurriedly, his eyes wide. "And where did you find evidence of this mythic experiment?"

"From the mind of a telepathic victim—but you knew that already, didn't you?"

The Sysquasian shifted uncomfortably, eying the tall, reptilian delegate next to him. "Let the record show that second-hand telepathic information is impermissible evidence."

"Oh, I know it is. Which is why I have this." The Doctor pulled out the holovid cartridge, and the Sysquasian delegate's hair bristled. A court intern with small, brilliantly-colored ridges covering its shoulders and temples approached the Doctor and offered a holovid player, and the crew of the _Serenity_ sat back as the court watched the video. The screams were still echoing around the room when the Doctor stopped the video. "That experiment was only one of the Blue Sun Corporation's atrocities. For as long as they have existed, they have been attempting to redefine what it means to be human—and that sort of species tampering is one of the highest offenses under intergalactic law."

Yvex cleared his throat, all of his eyes now focused on the Sysquasian delegate, who had stiffened as the video played, and hadn't moved since. "Qorv? Do you have anything to add?"

Qorv turned to face him, a sneer contorting his face. "What harm was really done? So a few humans were lost. Old Mother knows there are enough others out there to replace them."

Yvex's white eyebrows drew together. "Are you admitting compliance with these violations?"

The Sysquasian snorted. "What does it matter? Your mind's made up already." He glared at the guards that entered the room. "So take me out. What I say won't matter."

Yvex sighed. "Oh, I very much think that you're wrong." He looked around at the others. "Quorum dismissed, to be reconvened at a later date to investigate the Doctor's findings. I thank you all for coming." The delegates left the room, and Yvex hopped down from his desk and rubbed his forehead. "This is a fine mess you've stuck me with, Doctor. Would you and your crew care to join me in my parlor?"

The Doctor glanced at Mal, who shrugged assent. "I think we'd be happy to."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Yvex's parlor was a small room, the walls open onto a vast expanse of stars. Simon swallowed convulsively and clutched Kaylee's hand, but River immediately drifted over to stare out, her wide eyes reflecting the starlight. Yvex smiled and joined her there. "It is beautiful, isn't it? This view is probably my favorite part of being Shadow Architect." He glanced back at the Doctor and pursed his lips. "My least favorite part would be old friends dropping me into the middle of centuries-old messes with no warning."

The Doctor shrugged unapologetically. "Sorry. Court procedure—I couldn't allow for prior knowledge, or Qorv could've claimed conspiracy."

Rose raised her eyebrows. "Wait, wasn't he the one who's been running this whole thing?"

Yvex sighed and poured himself a glass of water. "The intricacies of bureaucracy. It's enough to drive anyone mad." He took a sip and glanced around at the _Serenity _crew. "So, you actually live in this mystery system. What sort of measures do you think would be effective?"

Mal's jaw tightened. "We need to get that video out, that's for sure."

Inara shook her head, worrying at her lower lip. "That can't be all we do, Mal. This is bigger than the Alliance and the Independents—this is changing everything people thought they knew."

"So we tell 'em the truth, an' let them sort it out."

Book cleared his throat, glancing back and forth between Mal and Inara. "If I might interrupt, does the Shadow Proclamation have any military capabilities?"

Yvex shrugged lightly. "None of our own. We contract out with the Judoon—it works well enough. Why do you ask?"

"Well, if the Reavers are Blue Sun's main way of isolating the system, removing their threat would not only open up communication and travel, it would work well as a mark of good faith. After all, no longer having to live with their threat would do much to… open people's minds, so to speak, about extraterrestrial contact."

Simon spoke up, his brow furrowed. "What about those that have no contact with Reavers? After all, to those in the Core, it would be shadows fighting shadows."

"We start this off the way we did last time." Mal hooked his hands in his belt, and looked around at all of them. "We start talkin'. We get the information out there—what people decide to do with it's up to them, but there's no more lies, no more hidin'."

Inara sighed. "Looks like I'll be signing onto the _Serenity_ again." Mal's mouth fell open, and she grinned a little, eyes dancing. "You have to admit, Mal, your most common way of connecting with people involves fists."

Zoe hid her laugh in a cough, and Mal glared at her. "She does have a point, sir."

Yvex looked around at the crew and opened a drawer by the door, pulling out several small, sleek comm units. "Whatever you decide to do, I must ask that you keep these on you. Blue Sun won't have a chance to hide this. The Shadow Proclamation can aid in recovery for Reaver-stricken areas, but we _have_ to have contact if long-standing diplomatic connections are to be made."

"It can't just be Alliance or Independents." Yvex turned to look at Inara and she continued, her eyes on Mal. "We have to build communications with everyone, if we're to start a real dialogue. We can't let old ideologies interfere with diplomacy."

"_Old ideologies_? It was 'old ideologies' that signed off on _goushi_ as what happened on Miranda!"

"What do you think will happen, Mal? That there'll be another civil war, and the Alliance will vanish into the ether? They're too much a part of people's lives for that to happen. I know you don't like what they've done—anyone with a soul won't like what they've done. But we can't just wish them away. " She stepped closer, watching him carefully. "If we want this change to last, we've got to work _with_ people, not just against them."

Yvex smirked, watching Mal's wide-eyed expression. "Looks like you may have an ambassador already." He grinned at Inara. "Have you ever considered a career in diplomacy?" She flushed, momentarily flustered, and he raised a hand. "Just think about it." He strolled back to the window, his hands behind his back. "As for the rest of you, would you prefer accommodations or transport to be arranged while we begin proceedings?"

He watched the humans carefully. Kaylee was fighting to keep her eyes open by that point, and Zoe had curled into Wash's shoulder and closed her eyes. Mal glanced at the Doctor, his brow furrowed. "Well, I can't rightly say I know what our plans for the moment are, but I know a bed wouldn't go amiss." There were varying noises of assent from the rest of the crew, and Yvex called in a steward to guide them to their rooms.

* * *

><p>Rose stepped out of the shower, wrapping a wide, soft towel around herself. The door to their bedroom slid open quietly, and she smiled as she noticed the Doctor leaning against the side of the TARDIS and watching the stars. "Happy to have her back?"<p>

He glanced at her and smiled, his eyes shadowed in the dim twilight. "More than I can say. Nice as she may be, the _Serenity_'s not my home." He paused and grimaced. "Well, I say nice…"

Rose laughed a little before leaning into his side, resting her cheek against the comforting warmth of his wool suit. "D'you want to go, then? 'S just… they could probably use some help, an' Lord knows you're got enough experience talking at people."

"Oi! _At?_" The Doctor caught her smirk and rolled his eyes, pulling her closer to him. "I'll have you know I once brokered a peace between two warring factions with five words, Rose Tyler."

She grinned. "Oh? What were they, then?"

"'The drinks are on me.'" He shook his head bemusedly. "Amazing, the power those words can have." She giggled a little, and he kissed her forehead absentmindedly. "And no, I'm quite happy to stay around here for a bit." He stared out at the stars. "After all, the adventure's just beginning."

(_goushi_- dog crap)


	24. Epilogue

Epilogue

Rose woke slowly in their bedroom on the TARDIS, the persistent ache in her lower back dragging her into consciousness. She sighed and rolled onto her side, resting a hand on the swell of her belly. She looked up and groaned before tucking her head back into her pillow. "It's been _seven months_, Doctor. How many more times are you plannin' on drawin' me?"

He grinned and continued his sketch, his glasses perched crookedly on his nose. "As often as I can. After all, it's not every day a hybrid human-Time Lord pregnancy happens."

Rose peeked out of her pillow, her one visible brown eye glaring. "Yeah, it'd better not be."

He snickered and ignored her. "I owe it to posterity to record this whole experience, Rose. After all, you never know when it might come in handy, sometime down the road."

She sat up reluctantly, rolling her shoulders. "Tell you what, how about you start planning our next pregnancy _after_ this little one actually makes it out, yeah?" She yawned. "Kaylee wanted us to pop 'round, by the way. They're due to elect a Shadow Delegate soon, an' she's convinced it'll be River."

The Doctor's eyebrows climbed. "Isn't she a little young for that?"

"She's been workin' with the Shadow Proclamation for a few years now." She grinned, tucking her tongue between her teeth. "Besides, I wasn't that much younger than her when you dragged me off to explore the universe."

"Oi, I happen to remember you running to join me." He smiled softly. "A grin like that, you don't forget in a hurry." Rose smiled back at him, caressing her belly absentmindedly.

The stones on her ring were a brilliant gold.

FINIS

**A/N: And that's the end! Thanks so much to all the people who read and reviewed—hearing that you enjoyed it makes it all worthwhile. **


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